But you could use a dict of return values, or even just assigning a different return value in each if clause. The end result is that you have a single well-defined exit point from the function, which is generally considered to be preferable.
Preferable, but not any form of an absolute. "Single Exit" was one of the recommendations from the early structured program work back in the 70s, and the industry has long since sent it to the dustbin of history.
The issue is a simple one of clarity, and woodenly applying the single exit rule where it doesn't belong frequently winds up creating nested if-elif-else structures and extranious flag variables.
If an embedded return isn't clear, the method probably needs to be refactored with "extract method" a few times until it is clear.
John Roth
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