HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORT

FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

SOFTWARE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

CHAPTER 8
Functions And Program Organization
 CONTENTS

1. Organizing Program

2. Defining a Function

3. Calling a Function

4. Positional and Keyword Arguments

5. Passing Arguments

6. Scope of Variables

7. Default Parameter

Introduction to CSE 2
 Problem
Example 1:
• Suppose that you need to find the sum of integers
• from 1 to 10, 20 to 37, and 35 to 49
• How do you write a program to solve this problem?
Example 2:
• Given two integers n and k. Find the binomial coefficient
𝑛 𝑛!
=
𝑘 𝑘!(𝑛−𝑘)!
• How do you write a program to solve this problem?
Problem: Repeat a particular task many times → very time
consuming and very inefficient.

Introduction to CSE 3
 1. Organizing Program

• Our programs are going to start getting bigger and more

complicated.
→ organize them in smaller pieces so they’re easier to write, read
and modify later.
• There are three main ways to break programs into smaller parts:
• Functions - Procedural programming
• Modules - Modular programming
• Objects – Object oriented programming

Introduction to CSE 4
Functions - Procedural programming
• A function is a block of code that performs a specified task.
• A function is a subprogram to build a bigger program.
• This is the solution that give a name to a piece of code.
→Every time that you need it, just call it.
• Benefits of breaking a program into functions:
• Code re-use within a program or across multiple programs
→ Write one time, use many times.
• Smaller, simpler functions are easier to read, understand and
maintain.
• Reduce complexity of the program.
• Hiding implementation details from users.

Introduction to CSE 5
 Example

Introduction to CSE 6
 2. Defining a Function

• The syntax for defining a function is as follows:

def functionName(list of parameters):

<Function body>

Function name parameter

Function
header

Function
body

Return value

Introduction to CSE 7
 Defining a Function

NOTE:
• Data can be passed to functions as parameter
• Parameters are optional, separated by commas. A function may
not have any parameters.
• “return” statement:
return [<expression>]
• Used to return a value.
• <expression>: is optional.
• The function terminates when a return statement is executed.
• Some functions perform desired operations without returning a
value

Introduction to CSE 8
 Examples

Introduction to CSE 9
 3. Calling a Function

• Defining a new function does not make the function run.

→ To use a function → have to call it.
→ Calling a function executes the code in the function.
• Syntax of a function call:

functionName(list of arguments)

• Arguments: are assigned to the parameters in the function definition

• There are two ways to call a function:
1. If the function returns a value → a call to that function is usually
treated as a value
2. If a function does not return a value → the call to the function
must be a statement.

Introduction to CSE 10
 Calling a Function

Introduction to CSE 11
 Calling a Function
When a function is called, the program control jumps to that
function definition and executes the statements inside the function
body.
Value -2.7 is passed to val

After executing the body of the function, the program control

jumps back to where the function was called.

Introduction to CSE 12
 Functions without Return Values
• Some functions do not return any value.
→ By default, None is returned automatically
→ return statement can be omitted, but it can be used for terminating
the function.

Introduction to CSE 13
 Returning Multiple Values

• Syntax:
return val1, val2, val3, ..., valN
• When calling a function returning multiple values, the number of
variables on the left side of = operator must be equal to the
number of values returned.

Introduction to CSE 14
 4. Positional and Keyword Arguments
• There are two kinds of
arguments: Positional
• Positional arguments: arguments
must match the
parameters in order,
number, and type.
• Keyword arguments:
passing each argument
in the form
key = value
Keyword
• Note: arguments
Positional arguments must
appear before any keyword
arguments.

Introduction to CSE 15
 5. Passing Arguments
• All data are objects in Python, a variable for an object is actually a
reference to the object.
• When you call a function with arguments:
• Value of an argument is passed to a parameter → This mechanism is
known as Pass By Value.
• This value is actually a reference value to the object.
• Note:
• If argument is immutable, the changes made to the parameter will
not affect the argument.
• If the argument is mutable, the changes made to the parameter
variable will affect the argument.

Introduction to CSE 16
 Passing Arguments
Call increment()
Id: 8791208661824
x 1

n += 1
Id: 8791208661824
x 1
Id: 8791208661856
n 2

Introduction to CSE 17
 Passing Arguments

Introduction to CSE 18
 6. Scope of Variables

• The scope of a variable is the part of the program where the

variable can be referenced.
• Local variable: created inside a function
• Can only be accessed within a function.
• Scope: starts from its creation and continues to the end of the
function that contains the variable.
• Global variable: created outside all functions
• Accessible to all functions
• Scope: starts from the point they are defined and continues to the
end of the program

Introduction to CSE 19
 Scope of Variables
Example 1: Example 2:

Example 3: Example 4:

Introduction to CSE 20
 7. Default Parameter

• Specify a default value for one or more parameters.

• This creates a function that can be called with fewer arguments
than it is defined to allow.
• Note:
• The non-default parameters must be defined before default
parameters.

Introduction to CSE 21
 Default Parameter

Introduction to CSE 22