The function is used in any programming language to run a specific block of code multiple times when require and organize the code properly. Sometimes, this requires reading the return value from the function for the programming purposes. The return value of the function is stored in a variable. Python functions can return both single and multiple values. This tutorial shows how multiple values can be returned from Python functions with multiple variables, objects, tuples, lists, and dictionaries.

Example 1: Return multiple values from the function using multiple variables

If you want to return only a few variables from the Python function, then it is better to define these variables to store the multiple return values from the multiple variables, objects, tuples, lists, and dictionaries using the function. In this example, three variables are declared in the script to store three return values. The multiVarFunc() function is used to take three input values and return the values to the variables dept_name, total_std and total_fac.

#!/usr/bin/env python3

# Define function to return multiple variables

def multiVarFunc():


  # Take a string data


  dept = input(“Enter department name: “)


  # Take a numeric data


  stdnum = int(input(“Enter the number of total students: “))


  # Take a numeric data


  facnum = int(input(“Enter the number of total faculties: “))


  # Return multiple variables


  return dept,stdnum,facnum;

# Call the function and store the return values in three variables


dept_name, total_std, total_fac = multiVarFunc()

# Print the formatted output of the return values

print(“nDepartment:%snTotal students:%dnTotal faculties:%d” %(dept_name,total_std,


total_fac))

Output

Three values are taken as the inputs, and the output values are printed after formatting.

Return Multiple Values from A Python Function Python

Example 2: Return multiple values from the function using the tuple

The following script shows how to use a tuple to return multiple values from a function. If you want to return many values from the function, then this is a better option. Here, the tupleFunc() function is used to take four input values from the user and return the values as a tuple to the caller. The return values will be stored in a tuple variable named tupleVar and the values will be printed later.

#!/usr/bin/env python3

# Define function to return multiple variables

def tupleFunc():


   # Take a string data


   stdID = input(“Enter the student Id:”)


   # Take a string data


   stdName = input(“Enter the student name: “)


   # Take a integer data


   stdBatch = int(input(“Enter the batch No: “))


   # Take a float data


   stdCGPA = float(input(“Enter the CGPA: “))


   # Return multiple variables as a tuple


   return (stdID,stdName,stdBatch,stdCGPA)

# Call the function and store the return values in a tuple


tupleVar = tupleFunc()

# Print the formatted output of the tuple

print(“n ID:%sn Name:%sn Batch:%dn CGPA:%4.2f” %(tupleVar[0],tupleVar[1],tupleVar[2],


tupleVar[3]))

Output

The four input values are taken as the input and formatted output values are then printed.

Return Multiple Values from A Python Function Python

Example 3: Return multiple values from the function using the list

The following script shows how to use a list to return multiple values from a function. This is another option to return many values from a function. The listFunc() function is used in the script to take two integer numbers from the user and calculate the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of these numbers. Next, these four results are returned as a list from the function. The list variable, listVar is used to store the return values and print the values.

#!/usr/bin/env python3


 

# Define function to return multiple values as a list

def listFunc():


  # Take a numeric data


  number1 = float(input(“Enter any number:”))


  # Take a numeric data


  number2 = float(input(“Enter any number:”))


 


  addition = number1 number2


  subtraction = number1 – number2


  multiplication = number1 * number2


  division = number1 / number2


 


  # Return multiple variables as a list


  return [number1, number2, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division]


 

# Call the function and store the return values in a tuple


listVar = listFunc()

# Print the formatted output of the list data

print(“n%5.2f %5.2f = %5.2f” %(listVar[0], listVar[1], listVar[2]))

print(“%5.2f – %5.2f = %5.2f” %(listVar[0], listVar[1], listVar[3]))

print(“%5.2f x %5.2f = %5.2f” %(listVar[0], listVar[1], listVar[4]))

print(“%5.2f / %5.2f = %5.2f” %(listVar[0], listVar[1], listVar[5]))

Output

After taking two numbers, 67 and 23.7, the following output will appear.

Return Multiple Values from A Python Function Python

Example 4: Return multiple values from the function using the dictionary

The following script shows how to use a dictionary to return multiple values from a function. This is another option to return many values from a function. A dictionary object variable named dictVar is declared inside the function. Three values are assigned to the variable and return the dicVar to the caller. Next, the dictionary values are printed.

#!/usr/bin/env python3

# Define function to return the multiple values as a dictionary


  def dictFunc():


  # Declare a dictionary variable


  dictVar = dict();


  # Assign some values


  dictVar[‘name’] = “Kelli Ali”


  dictVar[‘age’]   = 46


  dictVar[‘profession’] = ‘Singer’


  # Return the dictionary as return values


  return dictVar


 

# Call the function and store the return values in a dictionary variable


dictValues = dictFunc()

# Print the dictionary values

print(“The values of dictionary are:n“, dictValues)

Output

The following output will appear after running the script.

Return Multiple Values from A Python Function Python

Example 5: Return multiple values from the function using object

A class is used with a function to return multiple values as an object from the function in the following script. When the objFunc() function calls, the function initializes the object from the Employees class and returns the object to the caller. Next, the property values of the object will be printed.

#!/usr/bin/env python3


 

# Define the class to intialize the object

class Employees:


 def __init__(self):


   self.name = “Mosarof Karim”


   self.post = “Manager”


   self.salary = 50000


 

# Define the function to return values as an object

def objFunc():


 return Employees()


 

# Call the function to set the object variable


objVar = objFunc()


 

# Print the formatted output

print(“n Employee Name:”, objVar.name,“n“,“Post:”,objVar.post,“n“,“Salary:”,


 objVar.salary)

Output

The following output will appear after running the script.

Return Multiple Values from A Python Function Python

Conclusion

Multiple return values from a function can be used in the script for various purposes. This tutorial showed some of the different ways of returning multiple values from a function in Python.

About the author

Return Multiple Values from A Python Function Python

Fahmida Yesmin

I am a trainer of web programming courses. I like to write article or tutorial on various IT topics. I have a YouTube channel where many types of tutorials based on Ubuntu, Windows, Word, Excel, WordPress, Magento, Laravel etc. are published: Tutorials4u Help.

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