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characteristics of function in python

In Python, functions are reusable blocks of code defined using the 'def' keyword, with a name, parameters, and a body that executes tasks. They can return values, create their own scope, and promote code reusability while following naming conventions. Good practice includes documenting functions with docstrings to describe their purpose, parameters, and return values.

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4 views

characteristics of function in python

In Python, functions are reusable blocks of code defined using the 'def' keyword, with a name, parameters, and a body that executes tasks. They can return values, create their own scope, and promote code reusability while following naming conventions. Good practice includes documenting functions with docstrings to describe their purpose, parameters, and return values.

Uploaded by

hetshihora247
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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characteristics of function in python

In Python, a function is a reusable block of code that performs a specific task or set of tasks. Functions
are a fundamental concept in programming and have several characteristics:

Function Definition: Functions are defined using the def keyword followed by the function name,
parentheses (), and a colon :. For example:

def my_function():

Function Name: The function name should follow the same rules as variable names. It should be
descriptive and follow the naming conventions (usually lowercase with words separated by underscores,
e.g., calculate_average).

Parameters: Functions can accept zero or more parameters (also known as arguments) inside the
parentheses. Parameters are placeholders for values that will be passed to the function when it is called.
For example:

def greet(name):

Function Body: The function body contains the code that is executed when the function is called. It is
indented under the def statement and is identified by its indentation level.

def add(a, b):

result = a + b

return result

Return Statement: Functions can return a value using the return statement. The value returned by a
function can be used elsewhere in the program. If there is no return statement, the function returns
None by default.

def multiply(x, y):

return x * y

Function Call: To execute a function, you need to call it by using its name followed by parentheses and
passing any required arguments. For example:

result = add(5, 3)

Scope: Functions create their own scope, which means variables defined inside a function are usually
local to that function. They are not accessible from outside the function.

Reusability: Functions promote code reusability. You can call a function multiple times from different
parts of your program, reducing code duplication.

Documentation: It's good practice to provide documentation for your functions using docstrings.
Docstrings are triple-quoted strings placed immediately after the function definition. They describe what
the function does, its parameters, and return values.

def calculate_average(numbers):
"""

Calculate the average of a list of numbers.

Args:

numbers (list): A list of numeric values.

Returns:

float: The average of the numbers.

"""

Function Signature: The function signature refers to the combination of a function's name and its
parameter list. Python uses the function signature to determine which function to call when multiple
functions have the same name but different parameters (function overloading is not directly supported
in Python).

These are the key characteristics of functions in Python, and they are essential for organizing and
structuring your code for better maintainability and reusability.

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