Function returns None without return statement

Question

I just learned (am learning) how function parameters work in Python, and I started experimenting with it for no apparent reason, when this:

def jiskya(x, y):
    if x > y:
        print y
    else:
        print x

print(jiskya(2, 3))

gave the ouput:

>>>
2
None

Where did the None come from? And what is it?

Answer 1

It's the return value of the function, which you print out. If there is no return statement (or just a return without an argument), an implicit return None is added to the end of a function.

You probably want to return the values in the function instead of printing them:

def jiskya(x, y):
    if x > y:
        return y
    else:
        return x

print(jiskya(2, 3))