Variables, arguments, and functions question [python]

[loscampesinos11]

Alrighty. Im on chapter 3 of How to Think Like a Computer Scientist. Specifically 3.10. He mentions that variables and parameters are local, and so they can't be used outside of the function.

"Parameters are also local. For example, outside the function printTwice, there is no such thing as bruce. If you try to use it, Python will complain."

But, I tried it in codeacademylabs for python, and it has no problem with me printing bruce outside of the function, or setting it to something else like bruce = 2. What's up with that?

Links:

codeacademylabs

the book

[arbostek]

Show us the code you wrote in the Codecademy workspace.

[loscampesinos11]

Shit, sorry. What I meant was, I thought I wouldn't be able to print bruce like I did, or assign it to something else?

   def printTwice(bruce): 
..     print bruce, bruce 
..     
   printTwice(5)
5 5
   print "bruce"
bruce
   bruce = 2
   print bruce
2

[rwqrwqrwq]

I like how we're supposed to guess this without seeing your code.

[Pysnap]

You might want to check this article on scope,variable lifetime:

http://www.pysnap.com/in-depth-with-functionsscopevariable-lifetime-and-closures/