🔒 Question about calling function vs asking for new input

[vernal sparrow]

Hi there. So from what I know, strings are immutable, right?

So why then, does my program, return an old value. Say I type in one, then type in 1, it continues to return one, even if it's provided with a legitimate value.

The commented out line works, I just want to know why, when I call my function again, the variable "length" remains the same?

thanks

    #Implementing error handling for password generator.
    #Using a while loop to ensure that the correct value is entered. 
    length = input("Enter a length for the password (below 20 characters) \n")
    is_valid = False
    while not is_valid:
        #Check if length can be converted to an integer.
        #if it can be, then set is_valid to True and
        #end the loop.
        try:
            int(length)
            is_valid = True
        #If not an integer, print message not a number and req input again.
        #Ask for input again.
        except ValueError:
            print("That's not a number \n")
            print(length)
            get_password_length()
            #length = input("Enter a length for the password (below 20 characters \n")
    #Returns the value of length as an integer.
    return int(length)```

[toxic crane]

@vernal sparrow

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Hey @vernal sparrow!

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[cursive yew]

it's a bit confusing because you're calling your function recursively

so once the function resolves, it still ends up calling the function again and again for each failed attempt

[vernal sparrow]

right okay so that's the error right?

[cursive yew]

this really wouldn't be the idea way to handle this situation

I would ask for input inside the loop

[vernal sparrow]

I understand, the commented out line works - which is the new implementation.

[cursive yew]

otherwise there isn't really a reason to have a loop AND recursive call

[vernal sparrow]

I just wanted to know the why behind it

[cursive yew]

def get_password_length():
    while True:
        length = input("Enter a length for the password (below 20 characters) \n")
        return int(length)
    except:
        print("That's not a number \n")

[vernal sparrow]

the function ends, once it receives an integer **but ** the value it returns, is still the first value, which if it's a string, remains a string.

[remote flame]

simple: you're not doing anything with the return value of the get_password_length call you make inside itself

[vernal sparrow]

ahh so I have to "return" and call the function again? I just tried this and it worked.

[cursive yew]

it should never return its original value since the loop cannot be broken

[vernal sparrow]

okay.

[cursive yew]

you'll be stuck infinitely inside the except block

[vernal sparrow]

not from what I've seen here...

wait a sec

[vernal sparrow]

wait yes, you were correct!

[cursive yew]

since you never ask for input again during that recursive depth, there's no escape

[cursive yew]

This is really all you need

[vernal sparrow]

great, thanks!

[toxic crane]

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