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Python Python Basics (2015) Logic in Python Try and Except

Posted by Aryan Monga
Aryan Monga
4,061 Points

Python returning error!

The question is " Convert the arguments into floats by using the function ' float()' and then add the two arguments and return the total " Please help me to edit this code!

trial.py 
def add(a, b):
    float(a)
    float(b)
    c= a + b
    return c

1 Answer

Lok C
Lok C
10,617 Points
Lok C
Lok C
10,617 Points

That's because while float(a) returns the float version of a, it doesn't assign the new value for the name a. So when you run

c = a + b

a and b are referring to the same thing as before.

To convert a to float and use it later for c, you have to tell python which name to point to the new value. So for instance to use the float version of a to calculate the sum you will need to do something like 

a_float = float(a)

You can also do more directly 

c = float(a) + float(b)

and then return c. Or even more straight-forward, just return the value without bothering with assigning new names:

return float(a) + float(b)
Aryan Monga
Aryan Monga
4,061 Points

Thank you so much!!!! ;)