Python Error: unsupported operand type(s) for +: 'int' and 'NoneType'

Question

I don't understand this error OR what it means. I will paste my code underneath, but I don't think it is really relevant; I just want to understand this error.

It's just a bit of code to add up the letters in all numbers 1 - 1000 (inclusive)

def number_translator(x):
    if x == 1:
        return 3
    elif x == 2:
        return 3
    elif x == 3:
        return 5
    elif x == 4:
        return 4
    elif x == 5:
        return 4
    elif x == 6:
        return 3
    elif x == 7:
        return 5
    elif x == 8:
        return 5
    elif x == 9:
        return 4
    elif x == 10:
        return 3
    elif x == 11:
        return 6
    elif x == 12:
        return 6
    elif x == 14:
        return 8
    elif x == 15:
        return 7
    elif x == 16:
        return 7
    elif x == 17:
        return 9
    elif x == 18:
        return 8
    elif x == 19:
        return 8
    elif x == 20:
        return 6
    elif x == 30:
        return 6
    elif x == 40:
        return 5
    elif x == 50:
        return 5
    elif x == 60:
        return 5
    elif x == 70:
        return 7
    elif x == 80:
        return 6
    elif x == 90:
        return 6

count = 0
for element in range(1, 1001):
    if element < 21:
        count += number_translator(element)              # for numbers 1 - 20
    elif 20 < element < 100:
        count += number_translator(int(str(element)[0]) * 10) + number_translator(int(str(element)[1]))  # for numbers 21 through 100
    elif element % 100 == 0 and element != 1000:
        count += number_translator(int(str(element)[0])) + 7   # for numbers divisible by 100, but not 1000
    elif element == 1000:
        count += 11                                          # just for 1000
    elif element % 100 < 20:
        count += number_translator(int(str(element)[0])) + 10 + number_translator(int(str(element)[1:3]))      # now I add in numbers like 101 - 120, 201 - 220, etc.
    else:
        count += number_translator(int(str(element)[0])) + 10 + number_translator(int(str(element)[1]) * 10) + number_translator(int(str(element)[2])) # now the rest( 121, 122, 123, 225, 256, 984, etc.)

print(count)

Answer 1

When none of the if test in number_translator() evaluate to true, the function returns None. The error message is the consequence of that.

Whenever you see an error that include 'NoneType' that means that you have an operand or an object that is None when you were expecting something else.

Answer 2

In your giant elif chain, you skipped 13. You might want to throw an error if you hit the end of the chain without returning anything, to catch numbers you missed and incorrect calls of the function:

...
elif x == 90:
    return 6
else:
    raise ValueError(x)