Name error in my code

Question

Hey I've got a very simple problem, however all the places i look to fix it don't seem to work. So for school we gotta do this thing where we save user input to an excel file and where i do Mylist.append(phone) i get an error saying phone is not defined. Any idea on how to fix this?

#Zacharriah Task 3
import csv
from IPhone import*
from Android import*
import time

def start():
    print('Hello Welcome to the Phone Trouble-Shooter')
    time.sleep(2)
    phone = input('Please input what brand of phone you have')
    if "iphone" in phone:
        print('Your phone has been identified as an Iphone')
    elif "android" in phone:
        print('Your phone has been identifies as an Android')


file = open("Excel_Task_3.csv", "w", newline = "")
fileWrite = csv.writer(file,delimiter = ",")
Mylist = []

Mylist.append(phone)

fileWriter.writerow(Mylist)

file.close()

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:02

1

If code is exactly like posted then phone is really not defined where you need it. It is defined in the function's scope but is used outside - so there is no phone variable defined there:

def start():
    # defined in the function's scope
    phone = input('Please input what brand of phone you have')
    # rest of code


file = open("Excel_Task_3.csv", "w", newline = "")
fileWrite = csv.writer(file,delimiter = ",")
Mylist = []
# Used outside of the function's scope - it is unrecognized here
Mylist.append(phone)

What you can do is return a value from start and then use it. Something like:

def start():
    phone = input('Please input what brand of phone you have')
    # rest of code
    return phone

# rest of code
Mylist = []
Mylist.append(start())

Read Short Description of Python Scoping Rules

edited May 23 '17 at 12:02

Community

1
1

answered Apr 02 '17 at 12:04

Gilad Green

36,708
7
61
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So to fix do i put def phone under def start? – Z.Howells Apr 02 '17 at 12:07
See update. Basically you must make sure that the variable exists in the scope you want to use it. – Gilad Green Apr 02 '17 at 12:09
@Z.Howells - Great :) – Gilad Green Apr 02 '17 at 12:11

nivhanin · Answer 2 · 2017-04-02T12:15:17.787

0

phone not defined outside the start() function.

Here: Mylist.append(phone)

You should fix it.

Optional fix:

def start():
    print('Hello Welcome to the Phone Trouble-Shooter')
    time.sleep(2)
    phone = input('Please input what brand of phone you have')
    if "iphone" in phone:
        print('Your phone has been identified as an Iphone')
    elif "android" in phone:
        print('Your phone has been identifies as an Android')
    return phone # Add this.


file = open("Excel_Task_3.csv", "w", newline = "")
fileWrite = csv.writer(file,delimiter = ",")
Mylist = []
phone = start()  # Add this.
Mylist.append(phone)

fileWriter.writerow(Mylist)

file.close()

edited Apr 02 '17 at 12:15

answered Apr 02 '17 at 12:05

nivhanin

1,688
3
19
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You just need to make sure to return phone from the start function you declared above it. – nivhanin Apr 02 '17 at 12:10
also be sure to use the return value(phone) later on, when you call the `start()` function at first. – nivhanin Apr 02 '17 at 12:17

Name error in my code

2 Answers2