Unknown reason for code executing the way it does in python

Question

Hi

I am a beginner programmer, using python on Mac.

I created a function as a part of a game which receives the player's input for the main character's name.

The code is:

import time

def newGameStep2():
        print '  ******************************************  '
        print '\nStep2\t\t\t\tCharacter Name'
        print '\nChoose a name for your character. This cannot\n be changed during the game. Note that there\n are limitations upon the name.'
        print '\nLimitations:\n\tYou cannot use:\n\tCommander\n\tLieutenant\n\tMajor\n\t\tas these are reserved.\n All unusual capitalisations will be removed.\n There is a two-word-limit on names.'
        newStep2Choice = raw_input('>>>')
        newStep2Choice = newStep2Choice.lower()
        if 'commander' in newStep2Choice or 'lieutenant' in newStep2Choice or 'major' in newStep2Choice:
            print 'You cannot use the terms \'commander\', \'lieutenant\' or \'major\' in the name. They are reserved.\n'
            print
            time.sleep(2)
            newGameStep2()
        else:
            newStep2Choice = newStep2Choice.split(' ')
            newStep2Choice = [newStep2Choice[0].capitalize(), newStep2Choice[1].capitalize()]
            newStep2Choice = ' ' .join(newStep2Choice)
        return newStep2Choice

myVar = newGameStep2()
print myVar

When I was testing, I inputted 'major a', and when it asked me to input another name, i inputted 'a b'. However, when it returned the output of the function, it returns 'major a'. I went through this with a debugger, yet I still can't seem to find where the problem occurred.

Thanks for any help, Jasper

Answer 1

Your recursive call to newGameStep2() isn't returning, so when the second call finishes, control flow continues in the first call after the if/else block, and return newStep2Choice returns the first read value. You need to change the recursive call to:

return newGameStep2()