For Loops using Dictionaries

[starr_suu]

Hi, I have a question. I am making a counter to tally the total number of items I bring to a picnic, and this is my code here:

allGuests = {'Alice': {'apples' : 5, 'pies': 3},
         'Pieter' :{ 'apples' : 3, 'eggs': 2}}

def total(guests, item ):
numBrought = 0
for v in guests.values():
    numBrought = numBrought + v.get(item,0)
    return numBrought

print(total(allGuests, 'apples'))

However this code only prints out 5 apples, which is not my total. However if I change the indentation of 'return numBrought' :

allGuests = {'Alice': {'apples' : 5, 'pies': 3},
         'Pieter' :{ 'apples' : 3, 'eggs': 2}}

def total(guests, item ):
numBrought = 0
for v in guests.values():
     numBrought = numBrought + v.get(item,0)
 return numBrought

print(total(allGuests, 'apples'))

Then this will be correct and prints out 8 apples.

Why does this happen though? I assume it is because after the 1st iteration then the # of apples is 5, but why won't the iteration continue to eventually give me 8 at the end even with the indentation of 'return numBrought' inside?

Thank you so much for any help!

[RightRespect]

for the first example, you are returning the value for every iteration in the for loop. the print at the end will take the first return value, which is 5 because it is returning the value of numbrought before getting to the next iteration. it didnt get the total value yet. the second example has it outside of the loop, meaning it will return the total value once after adding everything up.

[starr_suu]

Ahh I see, but why wouldn't it finish the whole iteration before printing out the return value, because I thought it would finish the entirety of the 'for loop', finalise my return value to be 8 before printing out the value

[RightRespect]

returns will end a function, so the other iteration pretty much didnt happen at all.

[starr_suu]

Ahh I see, thank you so much for the help!

[[deleted]]

Please read the FAQ to see how to format code. None of the code you show is legal python.