Reuse of an inner function in Python

Question

I'm trying to figure out how to use a Python 3 function (using nonlocal variables) within more than one other function without defining it all over again. Here's a very simplified example of what I mean:

def inner(airplane):
    nonlocal var
    if airplane == "Alpha":
        var = a
    elif airplane == "Beta":
        var = b
def outer1(airplane):
    inner(airplane)
    do stuff with var
def outer2(airplane)
    inner(airplane)
    do other stuff with var

outer1("FirstAirplane")
outer2("SecondAirplane")

I'm getting an error ( SyntaxError: No binding for nonlocal 'var' found ) but I suspect I'm doing this very wrongly. I don't ever intend to run inner() on its own. How do I reuse inner() the right way? I can't just define it inside outer1() and then reuse it in outer2() , can I?

Okay, by uh...popular demand...here's the relevant section of my code...

def planeandoffset(airplane):
    if airplane == "Zulu":
        linename = "\\[\\INOV"
        charoffset = 14
    elif airplane == "Lima":
        linename = "\\[\\ILIM"
        charoffset = 10
    elif airplane == "Mike":
        linename = "\\[\\IMIK"
        charoffset = 10
    else:
        print("There is no airplane by that name.")
    latstart = charoffset
    latend = 7 + charoffset
    lonstart = 9 + charoffset
    lonend = 17 + charoffset
    return airplane, linename, latstart, latend, lonstart, lonend

def latlongen(workingline, latstart, latend, lonstart, lonend):
# Determine Latitude and Longitude in decimal format
    latraw = workingline[latstart:latend]
    if latraw[0:1] == "S":
        pm = "-"
    else:
        pm = ""
    hours = float(latraw[3:5] + "." + latraw[5:])
    decimal = hours/60
    latitude = float(latraw[1:3]) + decimal
    latitude = float(pm + str(latitude))
    lonraw = workingline[lonstart:lonend]
    if lonraw[0:1] == "W":
        pm = "-"
    else:
        pm = ""
    hours = float(lonraw[4:6] + "." + lonraw[6:])
    decimal = hours/60
    longitude = float(lonraw[1:4]) + decimal
    longitude = float(pm + str(longitude))
    return latitude, longitude
def kmlplanegen(airplane):
    planeandoffset(airplane)
    global afffilename, iconurl, kmlwrite
    affread = open(afffilename)
    while True:
        line = affread.readline()
        # Choose appropriate line
        if line.startswith(linename):
            workingline = line
        elif len(line) == 0: # Zero length indicates EOF (Always)
            break
        else:
            pass
    try:
        latlongen(workingline, latstart, latend, lonstart, lonend)
    # Generate kml for Airplane
        print('''   <Placemark>
            <Style>
                <IconStyle>
                    <Icon>
                        <href>{0}</href>
                    </Icon>
                </IconStyle>
            </Style>
            <name>{1}</name>
            <description>Latitude: {2} Longitude: {3}</description>
            <Point>
                <coordinates>{3},{2},0</coordinates>
            </Point>
        </Placemark>'''.format(iconurl,airplane,latitude,longitude), file=kmlwrite)
    except Exception:
        exit(1, "There was an error. This message is kind of worthless. Stopping Program")

def kmlpathgen(airplane):
    planeandoffset(airplane)
    global afffilename, kmlwrite
    # Generate kml for Airplane Path
    print('''   <Style id="yellowLineGreenPoly">
        <LineStyle>
            <color>7f00ffff</color>
            <width>4</width>
        </LineStyle>
        <PolyStyle>
            <color>7f00ff00</color>
        </PolyStyle>
    </Style>
    <Placemark>
        <name>{0} Path</name>
        <description>Transparent green wall with yellow outlines</description>
        <styleUrl>#yellowLineGreenPoly</styleUrl>
        <LineString>
            <extrude>1</extrude>
            <tessellate>1</tessellate>
            <altitudeMode>relativeToGround</altitudeMode>
            <coordinates>'''.format(airplane), file=kmlwrite)
    try:
        affread = open(afffilename)
        while True:
            line = affread.readline()
            if len(line) == 0: # Zero length indicates EOF (Always)
                break
            elif line.startswith(linename):
                workingline = line
                latlongen(workingline, latstart, latend, lonstart, lonend)
                print("                 {0},{1},0".format(longitude,latitude), file=kmlwrite)
            else:
                pass
    except NameError:
        pass
    finally:
        print('''           </coordinates>
            </LineString>
        </Placemark>''', file=kmlwrite)

Answer 1

Are you just learning to programme?

Forget about nonlocal anything. The correct way to do this is to return var with return var , and then assign the result of that in the calling context:

var = inner(airplane)

Edit:

Where you are simply calling:

planeandoffset(airplane)

You are not doing anything with the values returned. To access them do:

airplane, linename, latstart, latend, lonstart, lonend = planeandoffset(airplane)

I'm not going to analyse what you're doing with those globals, but whatever it is, stop. Either pass those as parameters between functions, or put them, together with your functions, in a class, and access them as members of the class.

Either way, I suggest that you follow a tutorial to learn a more usual style of programming that doesn't use globals.