DECOMPOSITION,

ABSTRACTION,
FUNCTIONS
(download slides and .py files and follow
along!)
LECTURE 4

6.0001 LECTURE 4 1
 LAST
TIME
while loops vs for loops
 should know how to write both kinds
 should know when to use them
 guess-and-check and approximation methods
 bisection method to speed up programs

6.0001 LECTURE 4 2
 TOD
AY
structuring programs and hiding details
 functions
 specifications
 keywords: return vs print
 scope

6.0001 LECTURE 4 3
 HOW DO WE WRITE
CODE?
so far…
• covered language mechanisms
• know how to write different files for each computation
• each file is some piece of code
• each code is a sequence of instructions
 problems with this approach
• easy for small-scale problems
• messy for larger problems
• hard to keep track of details
• how do you know the right info is supplied to the
right part of code
6.0001 LECTURE 4 4
 GOOD
PROGRAMMING
more code not necessarily a good thing
measure good programmers by the amount of
functionality
 introduce functions
 mechanism to achieve decomposition and
abstraction

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 EXAMPLE –
PROJECTOR
a projector is a black box
 don’t know how it works
 know the interface: input/output
connect any electronic to it that can communicate
with that input
black box somehow converts image from input source
to a wall, magnifying it
ABSTRACTION IDEA: do not need to know how
projector works to use it

6.0001 LECTURE 4 6
 EXAMPLE –
PROJECTOR
projecting large image for Olympics decomposed into
separate tasks for separate projectors
each projector takes input and produces separate
output
 all projectors work together to produce larger
image
DECOMPOSITION IDEA: different devices work
together to achieve an end goal

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APPLY THESE
CONCEPTS
TO
PROGRAMMING!

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CREATE STRUCTURE
DECOMPOSITION
with
 in projector example, separate devices
 in programming, divide code into modules
• are self-contained
• used to break up code
• intended to be reusable
• keep code organized
• keep code coherent
 this lecture, achieve decomposition with functions
 in a few weeks, achieve decomposition with classes

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SUPRESS DETAILS
ABSTRACTION
with
in projector example, instructions for how to use it are
sufficient, no need to know how to build one
 in programming, think of a piece of code as a black
box
• cannot see details
• do not need to see details
• do not want to see details
• hide tedious coding details
 achieve abstraction with function specifications or
docstrings

6.0001 LECTURE 4 10
 FUNCTIO
NS
write reusable pieces/chunks of code, called functions
functions are not run in a program until they are
“called” or “invoked” in a program
 function characteristics:
• has a name
• has parameters (0 or more)
• has a docstring (optional but recommended)
• has a body
• returns something

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HOW TO WRITE and
CALL/INVOKE A FUNCTION
def is_even( i ):
"""
Input: i, a positive int
Returns True if i is even, otherwise False
"""
print("inside is_even")
return i%2 == 0

is_even(3)

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 IN THE FUNCTION
BODY
def is_even( i ):
"""
Input: i, a
positive int
Returns True if i is even, otherwise False
"""
print("inside is_even")
return i%2 == 0

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 VARIABLE
SCOPE
 formal parameter gets bound to the value of
actual parameter when function is called
 new scope/frame/environment created when enter a function
 scope is mapping of names to objects
def f( x ):
x = x + 1
print('in f(x): x =', x)
return x

x = 3
z = f( x )

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 VARIABLE
SCOPE

def f( x ): Global scope f scope

x = x + 1
Some
print('in f(x): x =', x) f code
x 3
return x
x 3
x = 3
z = f( x )

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 VARIABLE
SCOPE

def f( x ): Global scope f scope

x = x + 1
Some
print('in f(x): x =', x) f code
x 4
return x
x 3
x = 3
z = f( x )

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 VARIABLE
SCOPE

def f( x ): Global scope f scope

x = x + 1
Some x
print('in f(x): x =', x) f 4
return x code
x 3 returns 4
x = 3
z = f( x ) z
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 VARIABLE
SCOPE

def f( x ): Global scope

x = x + 1
Some
print('in f(x): x =', x) f code
return x
x 3
x = 3
z = f( x ) 4

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ONE WARNING IF NO
return STATEMENT
def is_even( i ):
"""
Input: i, a positive int
Does not return
anything """
i%2 == 0

 Python returns the value None, if no return

given
 represents the absence of a value
6.0001 LECTURE 4 19
 return vs.
 return only has meaning  print can be used outside
print
inside a function functions
only one return executed can execute many print
inside a function statements inside a function
code inside function but
code inside function can be
after return statement not
executed executed after a print
statement
has a value associated
with it, given to function has a value associated with
caller it, outputted to the console

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 FUNCTIONS AS
ARGUMENTS
arguments can take on any type, even functions
def func_a():
print 'inside func_a'
def func_b(y):
print 'inside
func_b' return y
def func_c(z):
print 'inside
func_c' return z()
print func_a()
print 5 + func_b(2)
print func_c(func_a)
6.0001 LECTURE 4 21
 FUNCTIONS AS
ARGUMENTS
def func_a():
Global scope func_a scope

func_a Some
print 'inside func_a' code
def func_b(y): Some
func_b
print 'inside func_b'
code
return y Some
def func_c(z): func_c
code
print 'inside func_c'
None returns None
return z()
print func_a()
print 5 + func_b(2)
func_c(func_a)
print 6.0001 LECTURE 4 22
 FUNCTIONS AS
ARGUMENTS
def func_a():
Global scope func_b scope

func_a Some y 2
print 'inside func_a' code
def func_b(y): Some
func_b
print 'inside
code
func_b' return y Some
def func_c(z): func_c
code
print 'inside None
func_c' return z()
print func_a() 7 returns 2
print 5 + func_b(2)
print func_c(func_a)
6.0001 LECTURE 4 23
 FUNCTIONS AS ARGUMENTS
Global scope func_c scope
def func_a(): func_a Some
z func_a
print 'inside func_a' code
def func_b(y): Some
func_b code
print 'inside func_b'
return y Some func_a scope
func_c code
def func_c(z):
print 'inside func_c' None
return z()
7 returns None
print func_a()
print 5 + func_b(2)
None returns None
print func_c(func_a)
6.0001 LECTURE 4
 SCOPE
EXAMPLE
inside a function, can access a variable defined outside
inside a function, cannot modify a variable defined
outside -- can using global variables, but frowned upon
def f(y): def g(y): def h(y):
x = 1 print(x) x +=
x += 1 print(x + 1)
1 x = 5
print x = 5 h(x)
x = 5(x) g(x) print(x)
f(x) print(x)
print(x)

6.0001 LECTURE 4 25
 SCOPE
EXAMPLE
inside a function, can access a variable defined outside
inside a function, cannot modify a variable defined
outside -- can using global variables, but frowned upon
def f(y): def g(y): def h(y):
x = 1 print(x) x += 1
x +=
1 x = 5
print x = 5 h(x)
x = 5
(x) g(x) print(x)
f(x) print(x)
print(x)

6.0001 LECTURE 4 26
 HARDER SCOPE
EXAMPLE IMPORTANT
and
TRICKY!

Python Tutor is your best friend to

help sort this out!
http://www.pythontutor.com/
6.0001 LECTURE 4 27
 SCOPE
DET
def g(x): AILS
def h():
Global scope

g Some
x = 'abc'
x = x + 1 code

print('g: x =', x) x 3
h()
return x
z

x = 3
= g(x)
z

6.0001 LECTURE 4 28
 SCOPE
DET
def g(x): AILS
def h():
Global scope g scope

g Some x
x = 'abc' 3

x = x + 1 code
x h Some
print('g: x =', x) 3
h() code
return x
z

x = 3
= g(x)
z

6.0001 LECTURE 4 29
 SCOPE
DET
def g(x): AILS
def h():
Global scope g scope

g Some x
x = 'abc' 43

x = x + 1 code
x h Some
print('g: x =', x) 3
h() code
return x
z

x = 3
= g(x)
z

6.0001 LECTURE 4 30
 SCOPE
DET
def g(x): AILS
def h():
Global scope g scope h scope

g Some x x
x = 'abc' 3
4 “abc”

x = x + 1 code
x h Some
print('g: x =', x) 3
h() code
return x
z
returns None
x = 3
z = g(x)

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 SCOPE
DET
def g(x): AILS
def h():
Global scope g scope

g Some x
x = 'abc' 4

x = x + 1 code

x h Some
print('g: x =', x) 3
h() code
return x
None
z

x = 3
returns 4
= g(x)
z

6.0001 LECTURE 4 32
 SCOPE
DET
def g(x): AILS
def h():
Global scope

g Some
x = 'abc'
x = x + 1 code

print('g: x =', x) x 3
h()
return x
z 4

x = 3
= g(x)
z

6.0001 LECTURE 4 33
DECOMPOSITION &
ABSTRACTION
 powerful together
code can be used many times but only has to be
debugged once!

6.0001 LECTURE 4 34