calling a function inside another function(nested)

Question

I have a function in Python

def outer_function():
    def inner_funtion():
        print ('inner message')
    print('outer message')
    sys.exit()

How do I call the inner function? I'm quite new to the inspect library and with closure if this qualifies as closure.

You call it the same way you call any other function... `inner_funtion()`. — Aran-Fey, Apr 09 '18 at 17:37
Possible duplicate of [Nested Function in Python](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1589058/nested-function-in-python) — hestellezg, Apr 09 '18 at 17:42

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 09 '18 at 17:38

0

You call it as any other function inner_funtion() but it's accessible only in outer_function scope obviously.

answered Apr 09 '18 at 17:38

Jozef Cipa

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score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 09 '18 at 17:38

0

You can use inner_function() anywhere in the scope where inner_function() is defined, that is anywhere in outer_function() after you defined inner_function().

answered Apr 09 '18 at 17:38

galfisher

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score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 09 '18 at 18:17

I find myself using this technique quite a bit. As one of the commenters wrote, you just call it:

def outer_function():
    def inner_funtion():
        print ('inner message')
    print('outer message')
    inner_function()
    sys.exit()

>>> outer_function()
outer message
inner message

This only works within the scope of outer_function(), and will return an error if you try to call inner_function() anywhere but inside outer_function().

Using nested functions are a great technique to clean up otherwise unwieldy top-level functions.

As for your second question, the top answer here does a better job than I ever could.

calling a function inside another function(nested)

3 Answers3