# Using the Input Function as an Argument in Another Function (Python)

**URL:** <https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/using-the-input-function-as-an-argument-in-another-function-python/412157>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [July 28, 2020, 3:01am UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/using-the-input-function-as-an-argument-in-another-function-python/412157 "2020-07-28T03:01:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AndrewGarrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/andrewgarrison/32/167947_2.png) [@AndrewGarrison](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/AndrewGarrison)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 3:01am UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/using-the-input-function-as-an-argument-in-another-function-python/412157/1 "2020-07-28T03:01:38Z")

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I am playing around with Python trying to learn the basics, and as a short test, I wrote the following code:

```auto
import random

def random_number():
    return int(random.randint(0, 10))

def lottery(input):
    num = random_number()
    while num != input:
        print(num, "Not yet...")
        num = random_number()
    else:
        print(num, "We have a winner!")

lottery(4)

```

This code works as expected in the console, but I thought it would be interesting to allow a user to enter a number using the `input()` method, so I changed the function call to the following:

`lottery(input("Pick a number between 0 and 10: "))`

The result was that the `while` loop ran indefinitely, crashing the console. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts as to why, and how to correctly use the `input()` function as an argument in a function (or, how to write the above code to use the `input()` function in general).

Thank you very much!

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**Author:** ![sanity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/sanity/32/378897_2.png) [@sanity](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/sanity)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 7:07am UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/using-the-input-function-as-an-argument-in-another-function-python/412157/2 "2020-07-28T07:07:18Z")

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`input()` always returns str type, even if entered is just number, to compare it with the result of `random.randint()`, it needs to be changed first to int. After setting up the type conversion, you also may try to handle case when somebody wouldn’t enter a number.

Some other general comments:

- As `input` is a build-in function it’s best to avoid using it as a function parameter (`def lottery(input)`) or variable name.
- `random.randint()` on the other hand doesn’t need the type conversion to int, as it will always return int.
- As you have found out there’s can be `else` after the `while` loop. Keep in mind that code within such `else` block will be executed only when `while` loop ends normally - when it’s condition ends up as false. If you’d be using `break` statement to break out of the loop, the code in the `else` block would not be called.

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**Author:** ![AndrewGarrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/andrewgarrison/32/167947_2.png) [@AndrewGarrison](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/AndrewGarrison)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 7:14am UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/using-the-input-function-as-an-argument-in-another-function-python/412157/3 "2020-07-28T07:14:26Z")

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Thank you very much!

I’ll be sure to keep the types of returned values in mind in the future.

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**Author:** ![ILM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/ilm/32/363239_2.png) [@ILM](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/ILM)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/using-the-input-function-as-an-argument-in-another-function-python/412157/4 "2021-06-01T18:45:18Z")

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Closed on June 1, 2021, 6:45pm UTC