Fundamental Function Question (beginner)

[Scott]

When creating a function is there any difference between putting
everything under the "def" or not?

Here I created a function called CscoPortNum to convert the network
port number field in a Cisco syslog string from a an ascii name back
into its numeric form if required. Does it matter at all that I
created the translation dictionary first and then started the def?

# def CscoPortNum(RulL)
# Accept a single ACL Rule as a List split into individual words and
# return Port number. Convert from Cisco syslog Port name if required
portfpth = "\\progra~1\\syslogd\\ACL_Logs\\Port-Translations.txt"
# Create dictionary of portnames to portnumbers
portD = {}
for prtnmS in open(portfpth):
    prtnmS = prtnmS.rstrip()
    spltprtL = prtnmS.split(" ")
    portD[spltprtL[2]] = [spltprtL[1]]
def CscoPortNum(RulL):
    if "eq" in RulL:    # Is the Port listed?
        if RulL[RulL.index("eq")+1][0].isdigit(): # Is it numeric?
#        if re.search("\d", RulL[RulL.index("eq")+1][0]): # Is it
numeric?
            portnum = RulL[RulL.index("eq")+1]     # If numeric, use
as is.
        else:
            # If named, look up numeric translation
            portnum = portD[RulL[RulL.index("eq")+1]]
            portnum = str(portnum).strip("[]'")
    else:  portnum = "noeq"
    return portnum