a lambda has nothing to do with loop. It's just some inline way to define a function.

Instead of using a lambda you could have written the code below. The mere difference with using a lambda is that the function defined get a name.

def func(n):
    print 'The count is:', n

def mylambda(count): 
    return (count < 5 and func())

a = mylambda

print a

Now may be you can see by yourself what's wrong ?

  • just writing 'a' does not call the function (parenthesis needed)
  • your lambda need a parameter for count
  • there is no loop, you are just computing a boolean combining the predicate 'count < 5' and the result of calling func()
  • func returns nothing, henceforth it will always return None
  • you get a function that will return either False or None depending of the value of the parameter count...

Actually, I'm still wondering what you were trying to do ? Call a lambda in a loop ? Create a recursive lambda ? Anyone's guess until more details.

Answer from kriss on Stack Overflow
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Codecademy
codecademy.com โ€บ forum_questions โ€บ 51617d5b0f2389811b00460e
Can we Use Loops such as for and while inside a lambda function???? | Codecademy
There is a loop and a conditional in there already ... No you canโ€™t. Lambda is an expression not a statement.
Discussions

python - loop for inside lambda - Stack Overflow
Just wanted to add one more that ... to use lambda just for the sake of making it a one line code). Instead, you can use a simple list comprehension. ... BTW, the return values will be a list of Nones. ... Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments. ... Since a for loop is a statement (as is print, in Python 2.x), you ... More on stackoverflow.com
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python - Lambda in a loop - Stack Overflow
You can also fix the scoping inside the lambda expression ... However in general this is not good practice as you have changed the signature of your function. ... Is this same problem that occurs with defining closures within for-loops using def, that in Python for-loops don't get their own scopes? More on stackoverflow.com
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amazon web services - Cannot run a While Loop in AWS Python Lambda - Stack Overflow
As @luk2302 mentions in the comment above, indeed Lambdas only have an upper limit of at most 15 minutes customizable by the user in the settings. If set to 15 minutes, any loop will execute for that amount of time given the conditions make it so. At the time I asked this question I was unaware of the fact and by default the timeout value was set to 5 seconds, while ... More on stackoverflow.com
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April 28, 2022
How to run a while loop in python using a Lambda - Stack Overflow
I am trying to learn Python and currently studying while loops and I am embarrassed to even ask this question cause I feel I should be able to do this, but I am very confused. def summation(n, term... More on stackoverflow.com
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Kaggle
kaggle.com โ€บ code โ€บ mehmetblnnn โ€บ lambda-for-and-while-loops
lambda - for and while loops
Checking your browser before accessing www.kaggle.com ยท Click here if you are not automatically redirected after 5 seconds
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Medium
medium.com โ€บ @allenbalif โ€บ loops-in-python-i-while-loop-for-loops-lambda-function-ceb0f510abe4
Loops In Python I While Loop | For Loops | Lambda Function | by Allen Balif | Medium
January 26, 2024 - While Loop: The while loop in Python is used to repeatedly execute a block of code as long as the specified condition is true.
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Python documentation
docs.python.org โ€บ 3 โ€บ tutorial โ€บ controlflow.html
4. More Control Flow Tools โ€” Python 3.14.4 documentation
In a for loop, the else clause is executed after the loop finishes its final iteration, that is, if no break occurred. In a while loop, itโ€™s executed after the loopโ€™s condition becomes false.
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GitHub
gist.github.com โ€บ gisbi-kim โ€บ 2e5648225cc118fc72ac933ef63c2d64
Why Lambda in a Loop is a Code Smell in python? Also it happens in c++? ยท GitHub
In C++, using lambdas in a loop doesn't have the same closure-binding issue as in Python, because C++ lambdas capture variables with value semantics by default (unless you specify a reference capture). However, the other concerns about readability, debugging, and potentially unnecessary complexity still apply. So, while ...
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TutorialsPoint
tutorialspoint.com โ€บ How-to-create-a-lambda-inside-a-Python-loop
How to create a lambda inside a Python loop?
listOfLambdas = [lambda i=i: i*i for i in range(1, 6)] for f in listOfLambdas: print f()
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Caisbalderas
caisbalderas.com โ€บ blog โ€บ iterating-with-python-lambdas
Iterating With Python Lambdas - Carlos Isaac Balderas
[v * 5 for v in x if v % 2] #list comprehension map(lambda for v: v * 5, for filter(lambda for v: if v % 2, in x)) #"pseudo" lambda and list comprehension map(lambda v : v * 5, filter(lambda u : u % 2, x)) #lambda, just a 'rearrangement' of what we had before ยท Going all the way. Going deeper, our loops iterate through x, iterate through y, and adds the sum of the values to z.
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TutorialsPoint
tutorialspoint.com โ€บ iterating-with-python-lambda
Iterating With Python Lambda
August 14, 2023 - Lambda functions combined with map(), filter(), and reduce() provide an elegant way to iterate and transform data without explicit loops. Use them for simple operations to write more concise and readable Python code.
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org โ€บ python-iterating-with-python-lambda
Python: Iterating With Python Lambda | GeeksforGeeks
December 19, 2021 - This one expression is evaluated and returned. Thus, We can use lambda functions as a function object. In this article, we will learn how to iterate with lambda in python. ... In the below code, We make for loop to iterate over a list of numbers and find the square of each number and save it ...
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Finxter
blog.finxter.com โ€บ home โ€บ learn python blog โ€บ python one line for loop lambda
Python One Line For Loop Lambda - Be on the Right Side of Change
July 23, 2020 - Albrecht, one of the loyal readers of my โ€œCoffee Break Pythonโ€ email course, pointed out that you can break the formula further down using the following blueprint: lst = [<expression> for <item> in <collection> if <expression>] A detailed tutorial on the topic is available for free at this tutorial on the Finxter blog. A lambda function is an anonymous function in Python.
Top answer
1 of 4
125

You need to bind d for each function created. One way to do that is to pass it as a parameter with a default value:

lambda d=d: self.root.change_directory(d)

Now the d inside the function uses the parameter, even though it has the same name, and the default value for that is evaluated when the function is created. To help you see this:

lambda bound_d=d: self.root.change_directory(bound_d)

Remember how default values work, such as for mutable objects like lists and dicts, because you are binding an object.

This idiom of parameters with default values is common enough, but may fail if you introspect function parameters and determine what to do based on their presence. You can avoid the parameter with another closure:

(lambda d=d: lambda: self.root.change_directory(d))()
# or
(lambda d: lambda: self.root.change_directory(d))(d)
2 of 4
34

This is due to the point at which d is being bound. The lambda functions all point at the variable d rather than the current value of it, so when you update d in the next iteration, this update is seen across all your functions.

For a simpler example:

funcs = []
for x in [1,2,3]:
  funcs.append(lambda: x)

for f in funcs:
  print f()

# output:
3
3
3

You can get around this by adding an additional function, like so:

def makeFunc(x):
  return lambda: x

funcs = []
for x in [1,2,3]:
  funcs.append(makeFunc(x))

for f in funcs:
  print f()

# output:
1
2
3

You can also fix the scoping inside the lambda expression

lambda bound_x=x: bound_x

However in general this is not good practice as you have changed the signature of your function.

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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org โ€บ why-do-python-lambda-defined-in-a-loop-with-different-values-all-return-the-same-result
Why do Python lambda defined in a loop with different values all return the same result? | GeeksforGeeks
February 1, 2023 - We will then look at an example of how this can cause lambda functions defined in a loop to all return the same result, and finally, we will discuss how to avoid this issue by using default argument values instead of closing over variables. Lambda functions in Python are anonymous functions that are defined without a name.
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AWS
docs.aws.amazon.com โ€บ aws step functions โ€บ developer guide โ€บ tutorials and workshops for learning step functions โ€บ iterate a loop with a lambda function in step functions
Iterate a loop with a Lambda function in Step Functions - AWS Step Functions
By using a Lambda function you can track the number of iterations of a loop in your state machine. The following Lambda function receives input values for count, index, and step. It returns these values with an updated index and a Boolean value named continue.
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Stack Overflow
stackoverflow.com โ€บ questions โ€บ 72038622 โ€บ cannot-run-a-while-loop-in-aws-python-lambda
amazon web services - Cannot run a While Loop in AWS Python Lambda - Stack Overflow
April 28, 2022 - import asyncio from aiogram import Bot, Dispatcher, types # Handlers async def echo_hello(message: types.Message): while True: await message.reply("Hello!") await asyncio.sleep(20) # AWS Lambda funcs async def register_handlers(dp: Dispatcher): dp.register_message_handler(echo_hello, commands=['sayhello']) async def process_event(event, dp: Dispatcher): Bot.set_current(dp.bot) update = types.Update.to_object(event) await dp.process_update(update) async def main(event): bot = Bot(token=TOKEN) dp = Dispatcher(bot) await register_handlers(dp) await process_event(event, dp) return 'ok' def lambda_handler(event, context): return asyncio.get_event_loop().run_until_complete(main(event)) I can't seem to get my telegram bot in AWS Python Lambda to loop the Hello message.
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Real Python
realpython.com โ€บ python-lambda
How to Use Python Lambda Functions โ€“ Real Python
December 1, 2023 - In this step-by-step tutorial, you'll learn about Python lambda functions. You'll see how they compare with regular functions and how you can use them in accordance with best practices.
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Python
bugs.python.org โ€บ issue13652
Issue 13652: Creating lambda functions in a loop has unexpected results when resolving variables used as arguments - Python tracker
December 22, 2011 - This issue tracker has been migrated to GitHub, and is currently read-only. For more information, see the GitHub FAQs in the Python's Developer Guide ยท This issue has been migrated to GitHub: https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/57861
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Delft Stack
delftstack.com โ€บ home โ€บ howto โ€บ python โ€บ use lambda functions alongside a for loop
How to Use Lambda Functions With the for Loop in Python | Delft Stack
February 9, 2025 - The Lambda function can be used together with a for loop to create a list of lambda objects. Using these objects, we can perform actions on elements of an iterable using a for loop.