Recursive Function Returning None in Python

Recursive function returning none in Python

You need to return the recursive result:

else:
return get_path(directory[filename], rqfile, path)

otherwise the function simply ends after executing that statement, resulting in None being returned.

You probably want to drop the else: and always return at the end:

for filename in dictionary.keys():
path = prefix+[filename]
if not isinstance(dictionary[filename], dict):

if rqfile in str(os.path.join(*path)):
return str(os.path.join(*path))

return get_path(directory[filename], rqfile, path)

because if rqfile in str(os.path.join(*path)) is False then you end your function without a return as well. If recursing in that case is not the right option, but returning None is not, you need to handle that edgecase too.

Recursive function returning none?

You are ignoring the return values of recursive calls. You need to explicitly return those too:

elif input[mid] > target:
return bisect(input[:mid], target)
elif input[mid] <= target:
return bisect(input[mid:], target)

Recursive calls are just like any other function call; they return a result to the caller. If you ignore the return value and the calling function then ends, you end up with that calling function then returning None instead.

recursive function returning 'None'

Change it please to

def fib(n):
nums.append(nums[-1] + nums[-2])
if len(nums) - 1 != n:
return fib(n)
elif len(nums) - 1 == n:
return nums

Why is my recursive function returning a None value

As you go down the call stack, you need to be returning values back up the stack once you hit the base case.

def detectNumber(stringVal, lp, makeNumber=""):
try:
if stringVal[lp] == " ":

print("Space detected")

print(f"At start makeNumber was {makeNumber}")
return makeNumber

else:
makeNumber += stringVal[lp]
lp += 1
# Here
return detectNumber(stringVal, lp, makeNumber=makeNumber)

except:
print(f"Error {lp}")
>>> detectNumber('123 ', 0)
Space detected
At start makeNumber was 123
'123'

You were getting None, because the value was only returned to the last recursive caller, rather than all the way back up the stack

Why Recursive function return None

The return statement is missing!

Do this:

def good(num,sum):

if num == 0:
return sum
sum = sum + num
num = num - 1
return good(num, sum)

This is because the function is called but is not returning the new values recursively.

One of the best website that explains this in depth and clearly is realpython.com, have a look especially at: maintaining-state but I suggest you to have a look at the whole article.

For sake of completeness I quote a section where I think is related to the issue you encountered:

Behind the scenes, each recursive call adds a stack frame (containing its execution context) to the call stack until we reach the base case. Then, the stack begins to unwind as each call returns its results.

  • unwind: Basically it returns it backward.

When dealing with recursive functions, keep in mind that each recursive call has its own execution context.

Other Stack Overflow Related questions

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  • python-recursion-with-list-returns-none
  • i-expect-true-but-get-none

Recursive function return None even though print() works

You need to return count_lowercase(s, low + 1, high), otherwise the function simply ends after executing that statement, resulting in None being returned.

count = 0


def count_lowercase(s, low, high):
global count
if low > high:
return count
else:
if s[low] == s[low].lower():
count += 1
return count_lowercase(s, low + 1, high)

Python recursive function returns None instead of value

You did not return any value from your recursive call break_up_number_into_fours(full_result) , you need to do it like:

def break_up_number_into_fours(input):
flag = 0
input_list = []
full_result = []
if isinstance(input, list):
input_list.extend(input)
else:
input_list.append(input)

for item in input_list:
if item > 4:
result = [item/4]*4
full_result.extend(result)
flag = 1
else:
full_result.append(item)

if flag == 1:

return break_up_number_into_fours(full_result) // here you need to return the value in respective recursive call
else:
print(full_result)
return full_result

test = break_up_number_into_fours(20)

print(test)

Output:

[1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25]

[1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25]


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