Why wont my recursive function work (Python)?

Question

I am trying to make this recursive function work, but the only output I am getting is:

azcbobobegghakl

a

Here is the prompt:

Write a program that prints the longest substring of s in which the letters occur in alphabetical order. Please use s = 'azcbobobegghakl' to test your codes. Your program should print

Longest substring in alphabetical order is: "beggh"

In the case of ties, print the first substring. For example, if s = 'abcbcd', then your program should print: "Longest substring in alphabetical order is: abc"

Here is my code:

s = "azcbobobegghakl"
current_string = s[0]
longest_string = s[0]
n = 0


def sorting_string(n):
    if n == len(s):
        return 0
    if ord(s[n]) <= ord(s[n+1]):
        current_string = current_string + s[n]
    
        return (n * sorting_string(n + 1))

        if len(current_string) > len(longest_string):
            longest_string = current_string
        
        else:
            return (n * sorting_string(n + 1))
    
    else:
        current_string.clear()
        return sorting_string(n + 1)
    

print(s)
print(longest_string)

Eat Ing · Accepted Answer · 2022-09-12 22:08:26Z

3

You never called your function. Add in

sorting_string(s)

before the print

answered Sep 12, 2022 at 22:08

Eat Ing

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Comments

Parker Watson · Accepted Answer · 2022-09-12 22:12:05Z

2

You're getting that output because you aren't calling the function you created. All you're doing is calling your last two print statements, which will always be azcbobobegghakl and a since you aren't actually changing their values.

answered Sep 12, 2022 at 22:12

Parker Watson

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