PYTHON: how to create a function to receive a variable input and then send it to another function

Question

I'm using Learn Python the Hard Way and exercise 35's extra credit says to simplify. I would like to create a function that will ask the user for variable next and then return it to the other functions.

in case I am making no sense...

    def action():
        next = raw_input (">> ")
        return next

    def start():
    print"""
You are in a dark room.
There is a door to your right and left.
Which one do you take?"""

    action()

    if next == "left":
        bear_room()
    elif next == "right":
        cthulu_room()
    else:
        dead("You stumble around the room until you starve.")

when I run it like this it always gives next as else.

Answer 1

You need to store the return value of the function somewhere; once it exits, the whole little indented namespace beneath the function goes away, along with the next variable. I think you really want:

next = action()

That way, with the function's little namespace destroyed, you will still have a copy of next out at the top level of your program.

If this feature of Python sounds needlessly destructive, trust me: it is far easier to manage complex programs if you can count on each function being its own little world, that does not make global changes to the variables you have defined!