create global variables?

[Alistair King]

Hi,

is there a simple way of creating global variables within a function?

ive tried simply adding the variables in:

def function(atom, Xaa, Xab):
    Xaa = onefunction(atom)
    Xab = anotherfunction(atom)

if i can give something like:

function('C')    #where atom = 'C' but not necessarly include Xaa or Xab

i would like to recieve:

Caa = a float
Cab = another float

ive tried predefining Xaa and Xab before the function but they are
global values and wont change within my function. Is there a simple way
round this, even if i call the function with the variables ('C', Caa, Cab)?
..............................................................................................................................

some actual code:

# sample dictionaries
DS1v = {'C': 6}
pt = {'C': 12.0107}

def monoVarcalc(atom):
    a = atom + 'aa'
    Xaa = a.strip('\'')
    m = atom + 'ma'
    Xma = m.strip('\'')
    Xaa = DS1v.get(atom)
    Xma = pt.get(atom)
    print Xma
    print Xaa

monoVarcalc('C')

print Caa
print Cma
..............................................................................................................................
it seems to work but again i can only print the values of Xma and Xaa

?

Alistair

-- 
Dr. Alistair King
Research Chemist,
Laboratory of Organic Chemistry,
Department of Chemistry,
Faculty of Science
P.O. Box 55 (A.I. Virtasen aukio 1)
FIN-00014 University of Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 191 50392, Mobile +358 (0)50 5279446
Fax +358 9 191 50366