Scribd
Upload
9 views

Python Programming

A function is a block of code that runs when called. Functions can accept parameters and return values. In Python, the def keyword is used to define a function, which is called by its name followed by parentheses. Functions can take positional arguments, keyword arguments, or arbitrary arguments and keyword arguments using *args and **kwargs. Arguments are specified inside the parentheses when calling a function. Functions can have default parameter values if a value is not passed. Functions return values using the return statement. The pass statement is used if a function definition is empty. Functions can be defined to only allow positional or keyword arguments using ,/ and * respectively. Functions can recursively call themselves. Lambda functions are small anonymous functions that can only have one expression.

Uploaded by

misbahrajpoot606
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
9 views

Python Programming

A function is a block of code that runs when called. Functions can accept parameters and return values. In Python, the def keyword is used to define a function, which is called by its name followed by parentheses. Functions can take positional arguments, keyword arguments, or arbitrary arguments and keyword arguments using *args and **kwargs. Arguments are specified inside the parentheses when calling a function. Functions can have default parameter values if a value is not passed. Functions return values using the return statement. The pass statement is used if a function definition is empty. Functions can be defined to only allow positional or keyword arguments using ,/ and * respectively. Functions can recursively call themselves. Lambda functions are small anonymous functions that can only have one expression.

Uploaded by

misbahrajpoot606
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

Python Functions

A function is a block of code which only runs when it is called.

You can pass data, known as parameters, into a function.

A function can return data as a result.

Creating a Function
In Python a function is defined using the def keyword:

Calling a Function
To call a function, use the function name followed by parenthesis:

Arguments
Information can be passed into functions as arguments.

Arguments are specified after the function name, inside the parentheses. You
can add as many arguments as you want, just separate them with a comma.
The following example has a function with one argument (fname). When the
function is called, we pass along a first name, which is used inside the function
to print the full name:

Parameters or Arguments?
The terms parameter and argument can be used for the same thing:
information that are passed into a function.

Number of Arguments
By default, a function must be called with the correct number of arguments.
Meaning that if your function expects 2 arguments, you have to call the function
with 2 arguments, not more, and not less.

f you try to call the function with 1 or 3 arguments, you will get an error:
Arbitrary Arguments, *args
If you do not know how many arguments that will be passed into your function,
add a * before the parameter name in the function definition.

This way the function will receive a tuple of arguments, and can access the
items accordingly:

Keyword Arguments
You can also send arguments with the key = value syntax.

This way the order of the arguments does not matter.


Arbitrary Keyword Arguments, **kwargs
If you do not know how many keyword arguments that will be passed into your
function, add two asterisk: ** before the parameter name in the function
definition.

This way the function will receive a dictionary of arguments, and can access the
items accordingly:

Default Parameter Value


The following example shows how to use a default parameter value.

If we call the function without argument, it uses the default value:


Passing a List as an Argument
You can send any data types of argument to a function (string, number, list,
dictionary etc.), and it will be treated as the same data type inside the function.

E.g. if you send a List as an argument, it will still be a List when it reaches the
function:

Return Values
To let a function return a value, use the return statement:
The pass Statement
function definitions cannot be empty, but if you for some reason have
a function definition with no content, put in the passstatement to avoid getting
an error.

Positional-Only Arguments
You can specify that a function can have ONLY positional arguments, or ONLY
keyword arguments.

To specify that a function can have only positional arguments, add , / after the
arguments:
Without the , / you are actually allowed to use keyword arguments even if the
function expects positional arguments:

But when adding the , / you will get an error if you try to send a keyword
argument:

Keyword-Only Arguments
To specify that a function can have only keyword arguments, add *, before the
arguments:

Without the *, you are allowed to use positional arguments even if the function
expects keyword arguments:
But when adding the *, / you will get an error if you try to send a positional
argument:

Combine Positional-Only and Keyword-


Only
You can combine the two argument types in the same function.

Any argument before the / , are positional-only, and any


argument after the *, are keyword-only.

Recursion
Python also accepts function recursion, which means a defined function can call
itself.
Recursion is a common mathematical and programming concept. It means that
a function calls itself. This has the benefit of meaning that you can loop through
data to reach a result.

The developer should be very careful with recursion as it can be quite easy to
slip into writing a function which never terminates, or one that uses excess
amounts of memory or processor power. However, when written correctly
recursion can be a very efficient and mathematically-elegant approach to
programming.

In this example, tri_recursion() is a function that we have defined to call


itself ("recurse"). We use the k variable as the data, which decrements (-1)
every time we recurse. The recursion ends when the condition is not greater
than 0 (i.e. when it is 0).

To a new developer it can take some time to work out how exactly this works,
best way to find out is by testing and modifying it.

Python Lambda
A lambda function is a small anonymous function.

A lambda function can take any number of arguments, but can only have
one expression.
Syntax
lambda arguments : expression

The expression is executed and the result is returned:

Lambda functions can take any number of arguments:

You might also like