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Python Basic Object-Oriented Python Emulating Built-ins Emulating Built-ins

Why do I keep getting a return is outside the function?

For some reason, I keep getting a return is outside a function, even though I did just that, because of indention.

book.py
class Book:
    def __init__(self, author, title):
        self.author = author
        self.title = title

    def __str__(self):
          return f"{self.author}, {self.title}"


    def __eq__(self, other):
          return self.author == other.author and self.title == other.title


book_a = Book("J.F Rowling", "Harry Potter")
book_b = Book("J.F Rowling", "Harry Potter")
if book_a == book_b:     
     return True
else:     
     return False
bookcase.py
from book import Book


class BookCase:
    def __init__(self):
       self.books = []

    def add_books(self, book):
        self.books.append(book)

1 Answer

Brandon White
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Brandon White
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 35,771 Points

Hi Luke Tate,

The return keyword is used to return a value from, and exit a function.

You got an if...else statement where you return True and/or False, but the if...else statement is not nested within a function. That's why you're being told that return is outside the function.

In book.py you can delete all the code not in the Book class definition. Your str, and eq methods are perfect.


But if you just want to evaluate the expression book_a == book_b, there's no need to make it the test of an if...else expression, just to get a True or False value. The expression already evaluates to a boolean.

Just like you wouldn't need to write something like:

if 5 + 5 == 10:
    return 10

You can just leave it book_a == book_b

Thanks for your advice! I will keep that in mind. This was for the second challenge, and oddly enough I just needed to just have an dunder comparison method.