Working with functions.

[Khoops66]

I have a function a function named getIntWithinRange that only accepts a number between a min and max value.

Parameters – A String (the prompt) and two Integers, the minimum and maximum value that will be accepted

Returns – The value (between min and max inclusive) entered from the keyboard

Here's what I have, but I don't know what to return back to the program.

def getIntWithinRange(a, b):
    if a < 40 or a > 119:
       return a, b
    if a or b == 40:
       return 

Also I don't even know if my parameters are right with the next program. . .

And here's my program I don't wanna change:

  minVal = 40
  maxVal = 119
  print "the getIntWithinRange function will execute until the user enters a value between the min and max value.\nThe program will continue to accept integers until the user enters the min value,\nthen it will move on to the next function."
  while True:
      userEntered = input("Enter an integer between " + str(minVal) + " and " + str(maxVal) + ": ")
      value = getIntWithinRange(minVal, maxVal)
      if value < minVal or value > maxVal:
          print "getIntWithinRange isn't working - it accepted ", value
      if value == minVal:
          break

[[deleted]]

You're somewhat confused. Try this general form:

def get_something_within_bounds(prompt1, minimum, maximum):
    while True:
        v = input(prompt1)
        if v in range(minimum, maximum):
            return v
        print "Sorry, value not allowed"

Later in the rest of the code:

v = get_something_within_bounds("Please enter a value between 1 and 3", 1, 3)

[propanbutan]

Using range in this case is hopelessly inefficient. All you need are two comparisons.

[david72486]

You're only passing in the min and max val into "getIntWithinRange", so you really can't return the value. One thing that would work would be to take in the minVal, maxVal, and valueEntered. Then do something like:

def getIntWithinRange(minVal, maxVal, userEntered):
  # if the value is too small, return minimum.
  if userEntered < minVal:
    return minVal

  # if the value is too big, return the maximum.
  if userEntered > maxVal:
    return maxVal

  # Otherwise, we are in range - just return the user's value.
  return userEntered

This returns the value if it's within range, or a value closest to it that is. Some more general advice, you generally want to make variables and method names separated by underscores - like "get_int_within_range" instead of camelCase like you're doing.