problem with variable scoping

[Daniel E. Wilson]

Michael Dingler wrote:

> It's...
>
> an embarassing question. Yes folks, I'm writing my first
> Python program (a text to HTML converter) and I have a
> slight misunderstanding with the variable scoping...
>
> Let me present some code fragments:
>
> last_line_empty = 0
> .
> .
> .
> def process(line):
>         ...
>         if last_line_empty:
>                 pass
>         else:
>                 print "<P>"
>         last_line_empty = 1

Your thinking like this is a C or Pascal program.  The assignment of
last_line_empty creates an instance in the local scope.  It does not
modify the instance in the enclosing scope.

Add 'global last_line_empty' at the top of the function and the problem
should be fixed.

--
Daniel E. Wilson

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