Python return statement

A return statement is used to end the execution of the function call and “returns” the result (value of the expression following the return keyword) to the caller. The statements after the return statements are not executed. If the return statement is without any expression, then the special value None is returned. A return statement is overall used to invoke a function so that the passed statements can be executed.

Note: Return statement can not be used outside the function.

Syntax:

def fun():
    statements
    .
    .
    return [expression]

Example:

def cube(x):
   r=x**3
   return r

Example:

Python3

# Python program to
# demonstrate return statement

def add(a, b):

    # returning sum of a and b
    return a + b

def is_true(a):

    # returning boolean of a
    return bool(a)

# calling function
res = add(2, 3)
print("Result of add function is {}".format(res))

res = is_true(2<5)
print("\nResult of is_true function is {}".format(res))

Output:

Result of add function is 5

Result of is_true function is True

Returning Multiple Values

In Python, we can return multiple values from a function. Following are different ways.  

• Using Object: This is similar to C/C++ and Java, we can create a class (in C, struct) to hold multiple values and return an object of the class. 

Example

Python3

# A Python program to return multiple
# values from a method using class
class Test:
    def __init__(self):
        self.str = "geeksforgeeks"
        self.x = 20

# This function returns an object of Test
def fun():
    return Test()

# Driver code to test above method
t = fun()
print(t.str)
print(t.x)

Output

geeksforgeeks
20

• Using Tuple: A Tuple is a comma separated sequence of items. It is created with or without (). Tuples are immutable. See this for details of tuple.

Python3

# A Python program to return multiple
# values from a method using tuple

# This function returns a tuple
def fun():
    str = "geeksforgeeks"
    x = 20
    return str, x;  # Return tuple, we could also
                    # write (str, x)

# Driver code to test above method
str, x = fun() # Assign returned tuple
print(str)
print(x)

• Output:

geeksforgeeks
20

• Using a list: A list is like an array of items created using square brackets. They are different from arrays as they can contain items of different types. Lists are different from tuples as they are mutable. See this for details of list.

Python3

# A Python program to return multiple
# values from a method using list

# This function returns a list
def fun():
    str = "geeksforgeeks"
    x = 20
    return [str, x];

# Driver code to test above method
list = fun()
print(list)

• Output:

['geeksforgeeks', 20]

• Using a Dictionary: A Dictionary is similar to hash or map in other languages. See this for details of dictionary.

Python3

# A Python program to return multiple
# values from a method using dictionary

# This function returns a dictionary
def fun():
    d = dict();
    d['str'] = "GeeksforGeeks"
    d['x']   = 20
    return d

# Driver code to test above method
d = fun()
print(d)

• Output:

{'x': 20, 'str': 'GeeksforGeeks'}

Function returning another function

In Python, functions are objects so, we can return a function from another function. This is possible because functions are treated as first class objects in Python. To know more about first class objects click here. 

In the below example, the create_adder function returns the adder function.  

Python3

# Python program to illustrate functions
# can return another function

def create_adder(x):
    def adder(y):
        return x + y

    return adder

add_15 = create_adder(15)

print("The result is", add_15(10))

# Returning different function
def outer(x):
    return x * 10

def my_func():

    # returning different function
    return outer

# storing the function in res
res = my_func()

print("\nThe result is:", res(10))

Output:

The result is 25

The result is: 100