# Can you give me some pointers on imporving the following python function code snippet: def...

Exported on 03/04/2024 at 23:42:17 [from Phind Search](https://www.phind.com/search?cache=ztz08st8f730d11fs4s2bq84)

## User

can you give me some pointers on imporving the following python function code snippet:

```python
def output_office_details(url, results_tree, idnumber):
    """ Returns office details - results_tree and idnumber only needed for lat lon """
    office_tree = make_simple_tree(url)
    if error_page(office_tree):
        print("output_office: error_page: Error page found.")
    elif polipo_error(office_tree):
        print("Page not in polipo cache. Writing to missing_pages.txt")
        write_file(missing_page_fo, url)
        polipo_on()
        output_office_details(url, results_tree, idnumber)
        polipo_off()
    elif busy_page(office_tree):
        kill_tor()
        time.sleep(60)
        print("Waitng 60 seconds and trying again.")
        output_office_details(url, results_tree, idnumber)
    else:
        Name = str(office_name(office_tree))
        Telephone = str(office_telephone_number(office_tree))
        Website = str(office_website_url(office_tree))
        write_file(firm_url_fo, Website)
        Email = str(office_email_address(office_tree))
        write_file(office_email_fo, Email)
        Lon = str(office_longitude(results_tree, idnumber))
        Lat = str(office_latitude(results_tree, idnumber))
        LatLon = {}
        LatLon['lat'] = Lat
        LatLon['lon'] = Lon
        sraID = str(office_sraID(office_tree))
        Solicitor_ID = str(office_id(url))
        Solicitor_type = str(office_solicitor_type(office_tree))
        Address = office_address(office_tree)
        people_url = str(office_people_url(office_tree))
        DX_Address = str(office_DX_address(office_tree))
        Facilities = str(office_facilities(office_tree))
        print("-- Company Name: " + Name)
        print("-- Telephone Number: " + Telephone)
        print("-- Website URL: " + Website)
        print("-- Email: " + Email)
        print("-- sraID: " + sraID)
        print("-- Solicitor ID: " + Solicitor_ID)
        print("-- Long: " + Lon)
        print("-- Lat: " + Lat)
        print("-- Solicitor Type: " + Solicitor_type)
        print("-- Address: ")
        print(Address)
        print("-- Tel: " + Telephone)
        print("-- DX Address: " + DX_Address)
        print(type(Facilities))
        print("-- Facilities: " + Facilities)
    parsed_uri = urlparse(Website)
    domain = '{uri.scheme}://{uri.netloc}/'.format(uri=parsed_uri)
    geo_content = (domain + ' ' + Lat + ' ' + Lon)
    write_file(geodata_fo, geo_content)

    office_dict = {}
    office_dict['sra_id'] = sraID
    office_dict['solicitor_id'] = Solicitor_ID
    office_dict['name'] = Name
    office_dict['email'] = Email
    office_dict['web'] = Website
    office_dict['dx_address'] = DX_Address
    office_dict['location'] = LatLon
#    office_dict['lat'] = Lat
#    office_dict['lon'] = Lon
    office_dict['tel'] = Telephone
    office_dict['type'] = Solicitor_type
    office_dict['address'] = Address
    office_dict['facilities'] = Facilities
#        with open('json_out/office/office_' + office_dict['solicitor_id'] + '.json', 'w') as outfile:
#            json.dump(office_dict, outfile)
    filename = 'json_out/office/office_' + office_dict['solicitor_id'] + '.json'
    content = json.dumps(office_dict, sort_keys=True, indent=4)
    write_json(filename, content)
    person_loop(people_url, office_dict)


```

## Answer

[1](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2401447/python-recursive-function-error-maximum-recursion-depth-exceeded)

![favicon-stackoverflow.com](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=stackoverflow.com)stackoverflow.com \> questions \> 2401447 \> python-recursive-function-error-maximum-recursion-depth-exceeded

[Python recursive function error: "maximum recursion depth exceeded"](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2401447/python-recursive-function-error-maximum-recursion-depth-exceeded)

Recursion is not the most idiomatic way to do things in Python, as it doesn't have tail recursion optimization thus making impractical the use of..

[2](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38896939/python-how-to-improve-efficiency-of-complex-recursive-function)

![favicon-stackoverflow.com](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=stackoverflow.com)stackoverflow.com \> questions \> 38896939 \> python-how-to-improve-efficiency-of-complex-recursive-function

[Python - How to improve efficiency of complex recursive function?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38896939/python-how-to-improve-efficiency-of-complex-recursive-function)

Here is an example solution in pseudo code: before calling main, declare the arrays val1, val2, val3, all of size DEPTH, and fill them with..

[3](https://codefather.tech/blog/recursion-error-python/)

![favicon-codefather.tech](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=codefather.tech)codefather.tech \> blog \> recursion-error-python

[Fix Python RecursionError: Maximum Recursion Depth Exceeded - Codefather](https://codefather.tech/blog/recursion-error-python/)

Open the Python shell and use the following code to see the value of the recursion limit for the Python interpreter: \>\>\> import sys. \>\>\>..

[4](https://skillapp.co/blog/exploring-the-python-recursion-limit-how-to-optimize-code-efficiency-for-recursive-functions/)

![favicon-skillapp.co](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=skillapp.co)skillapp.co \> blog \> exploring-the-python-recursion-limit-how-to-optimize-code-efficiency-for-recursive-functions

[Exploring the Python Recursion Limit – How to Optimize Code Efficiency ...](https://skillapp.co/blog/exploring-the-python-recursion-limit-how-to-optimize-code-efficiency-for-recursive-functions/)

In Python, tail recursion optimization is not performed by default. However, it is possible to manually convert recursive calls into tail calls to improve the..

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ANSWER | PHIND-34B MODEL

## To improve the output_office_details function, consider the following pointers:

Avoid Recursion for Retry Logic: The function uses recursion to retry fetching office details when encountering certain conditions (e.g., polipo_error, busy_page). Recursion in Python can lead to a RecursionError if the depth of recursion exceeds the interpreter's limit. Instead, use a loop with a maximum number of retries to handle these conditions. This approach is more efficient and avoids the risk of exceeding the recursion limit 13.

Error Handling: Improve error handling by using exceptions instead of printing error messages. This allows for more flexible and maintainable error handling, especially when integrating with other parts of the application.

Code Duplication: The function contains repeated code for writing to files (e.g., write_file(firm_url_fo, Website)). Consider creating a helper function to reduce code duplication and improve readability.

Use of Global Variables: The function uses global variables like missing_page_fo, firm_url_fo, office_email_fo, geodata_fo, and person_loop. It's generally better to pass these as parameters to the function or encapsulate them within a class to improve modularity and testability.

String Concatenation: Instead of using string concatenation (e.g., "-- Company Name: " + Name), use formatted strings or f-strings for better readability and performance.

JSON Serialization: The function manually constructs a dictionary and then serializes it to JSON. Consider using a data class or a more structured approach to represent the office details, which can simplify the serialization process.

Function Complexity: The function does a lot of things, including fetching data, handling errors, and writing to files. Consider breaking it down into smaller, more focused functions. This makes the code easier to understand, test, and maintain.

Use of time.sleep: The use of time.sleep(60) to wait for 60 seconds before retrying is not the most efficient way to handle retries. Consider using a backoff strategy or a library that handles retries more gracefully.

### Here's a simplified example incorporating some of these suggestions:

```python
import time
import json
from urllib.parse import urlparse

def output_office_details(url, results_tree, idnumber, max_retries=3):
    for attempt in range(max_retries):
        office_tree = make_simple_tree(url)
        if not error_page(office_tree) and not polipo_error(office_tree) and not busy_page(office_tree):
            office_details = fetch_office_details(office_tree, results_tree, idnumber)
            write_office_details_to_files(office_details)
            return
        elif polipo_error(office_tree):
            handle_polipo_error(url)
        elif busy_page(office_tree):
            handle_busy_page()
        time.sleep(60) # Consider using a backoff strategy
    raise Exception("Max retries exceeded")

def fetch_office_details(office_tree, results_tree, idnumber):
    # Extract office details from office_tree and results_tree
    # Return a dictionary of office details
    pass

def write_office_details_to_files(office_details):
    # Write office details to files
    pass

def handle_polipo_error(url):
    # Handle polipo error
    pass

def handle_busy_page():
    # Handle busy page
    pass
```

This refactored version introduces a loop for retry logic, separates concerns into smaller functions, and uses a more Pythonic approach to string formatting.

