python code to encode/decode morse code

gistfile1.py

    morseAlphabet ={
        "A" : ".-",
        "B" : "-...",
        "C" : "-.-.",
        "D" : "-..",
        "E" : ".",
        "F" : "..-.",
        "G" : "--.",
        "H" : "....",
        "I" : "..",
        "J" : ".---",
        "K" : "-.-",
        "L" : ".-..",
        "M" : "--",
        "N" : "-.",
        "O" : "---",
        "P" : ".--.",
        "Q" : "--.-",
        "R" : ".-.",
        "S" : "...",
        "T" : "-",
        "U" : "..-",
        "V" : "...-",
        "W" : ".--",
        "X" : "-..-",
        "Y" : "-.--",
        "Z" : "--..",
        " " : "/"
        }

    inverseMorseAlphabet=dict((v,k) for (k,v) in morseAlphabet.items())


    testCode = ".... . .-.. .-.. --- / -.. .- .. .-.. -.-- / .--. .-. --- --. .-. .- -- -- . .-. / --. --- --- -.. / .-.. ..- -.-. -.- / --- -. / - .... . / -.-. .... .- .-.. .-.. . -. --. . ... / - --- -.. .- -.-- "

    # parse a morse code string positionInString is the starting point for decoding
    def decodeMorse(code, positionInString = 0):
        
        if positionInString < len(code):
            morseLetter = ""
            for key,char in enumerate(code[positionInString:]):
                if char == " ":
                    positionInString = key + positionInString + 1
                    letter = inverseMorseAlphabet[morseLetter]
                    return letter + decodeMorse(code, positionInString)
                
                else:
                    morseLetter += char
        else:
            return ""
        
    #encode a message in morse code, spaces between words are represented by '/'
    def encodeToMorse(message):
        encodedMessage = ""
        for char in message[:]:
            encodedMessage += morseAlphabet[char.upper()] + " "
                
        return encodedMessage

You can extend your morse alphabet by including the numbers as well:

"1" : ".----",
"2" : "..---",
"3" : "...--",
"4" : "....-",
"5" : ".....",
"6" : "-....",
"7" : "--...",
"8" : "---..",
"9" : "----.",
"0" : "-----"

Same as above for punctuation:

    "." : ".-.-.-",
    "," : "--..--",
    ":" : "---...",
    "?" : "..--..",
    "'" : ".----.",
    "-" : "-....-",
    "/" : "-..-.",
    "@" : ".--.-.",
    "=" : "-...-"

Hello everyone,
I'm new to python and I am unable to understand the 'decodeMorse' function:
`def decodeMorse(code, positionInString = 0):

    if positionInString < len(code):
        morseLetter = ""
        for key,char in enumerate(code[positionInString:]):
            if char == " ":
                positionInString = key + positionInString + 1
                letter = inverseMorseAlphabet[morseLetter]
                return letter + decodeMorse(code, positionInString)
            
            else:
                morseLetter += char
    else:
        return ""
    `

Also, why do we use this:
testCode = ".... . .-.. .-.. --- / -.. .- .. .-.. -.-- / .--. .-. --- --. .-. .- -- -- . .-. / --. --- --- -.. / .-.. ..- -.-. -.- / --- -. / - .... . / -.-. .... .- .-.. .-.. . -. --. . ... / - --- -.. .- -.-- "

Thanks in advance!

This code will only work if the final item in the submitted string is a whitespace, otherwise it will return None.

here is an example, with numbers, signs and a different function for decodeMorse

https://gist.github.com/dcdeve/3dfba6566029f87b01aa3e38d6e1e26b

My function for decodeMorse is

def decodeMorse(message):
    messageSeparated = message.split(' ')
    decodeMessage = ''
    for char in messageSeparated:
        if char in inverseMorseAlphabet:
            decodeMessage += inverseMorseAlphabet[char]
        else:
            # CNF = Character not found
            decodeMessage += '<CNF>'
    return decodeMessage

Am I being an idiot or something, cause when I copy and paste this code to test it nothing happens, am I supposed to change something?

Same for me Glenderman