Returning a list from a function with many lists in it [duplicate]

Question

Noob question ahead

So I am making a basic text-based RPG just to get me back into the basics of Python after being gone for a few months.

I'm trying to make a function that has all of the items in it as lists, and when the name of an item is called, it returns the 'stats' of the item.

E.g.

def itemlist(input):
    item1 = [name, damage, etc]
    item2 = [name, damage, etc]
    item3 = [name, damage, etc]
    ...
    return(####)

Here I want the return to pass back the item list that has the name of the item in the variable 'input', so this function will be called something like

item = itemlist(item2)

however I get an error saying that 'item2' is not defined in the main() function that I run the request in.

Am I just being an idiot or is there some solution that I'm just missing?

... I'm not sure I understand you, but if you don't have an item2 defined in main (or globally, or closed over main) then I'm not sure why you expect that to work. — juanpa.arrivillaga
– juanpa.arrivillaga, Commented Jan 8, 2018 at 20:44
What patrick said. Your function doesn't know that the input is supposed to be one of the items. With a dict you might not even need the function. — SuperStew
– SuperStew, Commented Jan 8, 2018 at 20:45
item2 is a local name in the itemlist() function, nowhere else. However, you should not be using separate variables for all those lists in the first place. Use a dictionary: itemlist = {'item1': [....], 'item2': [....]}, and itemlist['item2'] will get you the correct list from that. — Martijn Pieters
– Martijn Pieters, Commented Jan 8, 2018 at 20:47

Scott Hunter · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-08 20:44:43Z

1

item2 is defined inside of itemlist, not also (apparently) somewhere that your main function can see it.

answered Jan 8, 2018 at 20:44

Scott Hunter

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Right leg · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-08 20:45:44Z

0

You could use a dictionary to store the items. The keys would be the item names, and the values, their respective stats.

items = {'sword': (12, 27), 'dagger': (42, 76), ...}

Then you would simply get the dictionary's values:

>>> items['sword']
(12, 27)

answered Jan 8, 2018 at 20:45

Right leg

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