Can I create a function that reports a list of outputs in Python?

Question

I am trying to get a list of outputs from functions. For example, let's say I define a function called 'compute' as below

def compute(a, b):
    add = a + b
    sub = a - b
    return add, sub

What I want to do next is to create a new function that takes this 'compute' function as an argument and returns a list of outputs of the function, add and sub, as strings.

That is, if I name the function "output_list", I want the function output_list(compute) to return ['add', 'sub'] .

It seems it is supposed to be simple, but I have trouble writing it. What should the code look like?

Answer 1

This is not possible. The names of the local variables inside compute are not known outside of compute . In fact, the local variables very likely do not even exist at runtime at all.

Answer 2

Well, it might defeat the purpose but if you are the one who defines compute function, maybe you could do something like this:

from varname import nameof
def compute(a, b):
    add = a + b
    sub = a - b
    compute.output_list = [ nameof(add), nameof(sub) ]
    return add, sub

>>> compute.output_list
['add', 'sub']

Answer 3

Your question is a bit confusing, how do you want to put a called function " CONTAINS PARAMETERS " as a Parameter for a other function without mentioning the Parameters' values?? its a bit confusing... Now, do you want the Output to be a list of the variables as string or you want to list the variables' results in a list???

I will consider the best scenario that you want to list the results of variables as a list of values for another function..

Code Syntax

def compute(a, b):
    add = a + b
    sub = a - b
    return [add, sub]


def another_function(lista= compute(3, 4)):
    return lista

print(another_function())

OUTPUT

[7, -1]

[Program finished]