What does -> mean in Python function definitions?

Question

I\'ve recently noticed something interesting when looking at Python 3.3 grammar specification:

funcdef: \'def\' NAME parameters [\'->\' test] \':\' suite
         


        

Answer 1

These are function annotations covered in PEP 3107. Specifically, the -> marks the return function annotation.

Examples:

>>> def kinetic_energy(m:'in KG', v:'in M/S')->'Joules': 
...    return 1/2*m*v**2
... 
>>> kinetic_energy.__annotations__
{'return': 'Joules', 'v': 'in M/S', 'm': 'in KG'}

Annotations are dictionaries, so you can do this:

>>> '{:,} {}'.format(kinetic_energy(20,3000),
      kinetic_energy.__annotations__['return'])
'90,000,000.0 Joules'

You can also have a python data structure rather than just a string:

>>> rd={'type':float,'units':'Joules','docstring':'Given mass and velocity returns kinetic energy in Joules'}
>>> def f()->rd:
...    pass
>>> f.__annotations__['return']['type']

>>> f.__annotations__['return']['units']
'Joules'
>>> f.__annotations__['return']['docstring']
'Given mass and velocity returns kinetic energy in Joules'

Or, you can use function attributes to validate called values:

def validate(func, locals):
    for var, test in func.__annotations__.items():
        value = locals[var]
        try: 
            pr=test.__name__+': '+test.__docstring__
        except AttributeError:
            pr=test.__name__   
        msg = '{}=={}; Test: {}'.format(var, value, pr)
        assert test(value), msg

def between(lo, hi):
    def _between(x):
            return lo <= x <= hi
    _between.__docstring__='must be between {} and {}'.format(lo,hi)       
    return _between

def f(x: between(3,10), y:lambda _y: isinstance(_y,int)):
    validate(f, locals())
    print(x,y)

Prints

>>> f(2,2) 
AssertionError: x==2; Test: _between: must be between 3 and 10
>>> f(3,2.1)
AssertionError: y==2.1; Test: