PYTHON PROGRAMMING

WRITING FUNCTIONS
TOPICS

•Introduction to Functions
•Defining and Calling a Void Function
•Designing a Program to Use Functions
•Local Variables
•Passing Arguments to Functions
•Global Variables and Global Constants
•Turtle Graphics: Modularizing Code with
Functions
TOPICS (CONT’D.)

• Introduction to Value-Returning Functions:

Generating Random Numbers
• Writing Your Own Value-Returning Functions
• The math Module
• Storing Functions in Modules
INTRODUCTION TO
FUNCTIONS
• Function: group of statements within a program
that perform as specific task
 Usually one task of a large program
• Functions can be executed in order to perform overall
program task
 Known as divide and conquer approach

• Modularized program: program wherein each task

within the program is in its own function
BENEFITS OF MODULARIZING
A PROGRAM WITH
FUNCTIONS
• The benefits of using functions include:
 Simpler code
 Code reuse
• write the code once and call it multiple times
 Better testing and debugging
• Can test and debug each function individually
 Faster development
 Easier facilitation of teamwork
• Different team members can write different functions
VOID FUNCTIONS AND
VALUE-RETURNING
FUNCTIONS
• A void function:
 Simply executes the statements it contains and then
terminates.
• A value-returning function:
 Executes the statements it contains, and then it returns
a value back to the statement that called it.
• The input, int, and float functions are examples of value-
returning functions.
DEFINING AND CALLING A
FUNCTION
 Functions are given names
 Function naming rules:
 Cannot use key words as a function name
 Cannot contain spaces
 First character must be a letter or underscore
 All other characters must be a letter, number or underscore
 Uppercase and lowercase characters are distinct
DEFINING AND CALLING A
FUNCTION (CONT’D.)
 Function name should be descriptive of the task
carried out by the function
 Often includes a verb
 Function definition: specifies what function does
def function_name():
statement
statement
DEFINING AND CALLING A
FUNCTION (CONT’D.)
 Function header: first line of function
– Includes keyword def and function name, followed by
parentheses and colon
 Block: set of statements that belong together as a
group
– Example: the statements included in a function
DEFINING AND CALLING A
FUNCTION (CONT’D.)
 Call a function to execute it
 When a function is called:
 Interpreter jumps to the function and executes statements
in the block
 Interpreter jumps back to part of program that called the
function
 Known as function return
DEFINING AND CALLING A
FUNCTION (CONT’D.)
• main function: called when the program starts
 Calls other functions when they are needed
 Defines the mainline logic of the program
INDENTATION IN PYTHON

• Each block must be indented

 Lines in block must begin with the same number of
spaces
• Use tabs or spaces to indent lines in a block, but not both as
this can confuse the Python interpreter
• IDLE automatically indents the lines in a block
 Blank lines that appear in a block are ignored
DESIGNING A PROGRAM TO
USE FUNCTIONS
•In a flowchart, function call shown as
rectangle with vertical bars at each side
 Function name written in the symbol
 Typically draw separate flow chart for each
function in the program
• End terminal symbol usually reads Return

•Top-down design: technique for breaking

algorithm into functions
DESIGNING A PROGRAM TO
USE FUNCTIONS (CONT’D.)
• Hierarchy chart: depicts relationship between
functions
 AKA structure chart
 Box for each function in the program, Lines connecting
boxes illustrate the functions called by each function
 Does not show steps taken inside a function

• Use input function to have program wait for user to

press enter
DESIGNING A PROGRAM TO
USE FUNCTIONS (CONT’D.)
LOCAL VARIABLES

• Local variable: variable that is assigned a value

inside a function
 Belongs to the function in which it was created
• Only statements inside that function can access it, error will
occur if another function tries to access the variable

• Scope: the part of a program in which a variable

may be accessed
 For local variable: function in which created
LOCAL VARIABLES (CONT’D.)

• Local variable cannot be accessed by statements

inside its function which precede its creation
• Different functions may have local variables with the
same name
 Each function does not see the other function’s local
variables, so no confusion
PASSING ARGUMENTS TO
FUNCTIONS
• Argument: piece of data that is sent into a function
 Function can use argument in calculations
 When calling the function, the argument is placed in
parentheses following the function name
PASSING ARGUMENTS TO
FUNCTIONS (CONT’D.)
PASSING ARGUMENTS TO
FUNCTIONS (CONT’D.)
• Parameter variable: variable that is assigned the
value of an argument when the function is called
 The parameter and the argument reference the same
value
 General format:
 def function_name(parameter):
 Scope of a parameter: the function in which the
parameter is used
PASSING ARGUMENTS TO
FUNCTIONS (CONT’D.)
PASSING MULTIPLE
ARGUMENTS
• Python allows writing a function that accepts
multiple arguments
 Parameter list replaces single parameter
• Parameter list items separated by comma

• Arguments are passed by position to corresponding

parameters
 First parameter receives value of first argument,
second parameter receives value of second argument,
etc.
PASSING MULTIPLE
ARGUMENTS (CONT’D.)
MAKING CHANGES TO
PARAMETERS
• Changes made to a parameter value within the
function do not affect the argument
 Known as pass by value
 Provides a way for unidirectional communication
between one function and another function
• Calling function can communicate with called function
MAKING CHANGES TO
PARAMETERS (CONT’D.)
MAKING CHANGES TO
PARAMETERS (CONT’D.)
• Figure 5-18
 The value variable passed to the change_me function
cannot be changed by it
KEYWORD ARGUMENTS

• Keyword argument: argument that specifies which

parameter the value should be passed to
 Position when calling function is irrelevant
 General Format:
 function_name(parameter=value)
• Possible to mix keyword and positional arguments
when calling a function
 Positional arguments must appear first
GLOBAL VARIABLES AND
GLOBAL CONSTANTS
• Global variable: created by assignment statement
written outside all the functions
 Can be accessed by any statement in the program file,
including from within a function
 If a function needs to assign a value to the global
variable, the global variable must be redeclared within
the function
• General format: global variable_name
GLOBAL VARIABLES AND
GLOBAL CONSTANTS
(CONT’D.)
• Reasons to avoid using global variables:
 Global variables making debugging difficult
• Many locations in the code could be causing a wrong
variable value
 Functions that use global variables are usually
dependent on those variables
• Makes function hard to transfer to another program
 Global variables make a program hard to understand
GLOBAL CONSTANTS

• Global constant: global name that references a

value that cannot be changed
 Permissible to use global constants in a program
 To simulate global constant in Python, create global
variable and do not re-declare it within functions
INTRODUCTION TO VALUE-
RETURNING FUNCTIONS:
GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS
• void function: group of statements within a program
for performing a specific task
 Call function when you need to perform the task

• Value-returning function: similar to void function,

returns a value
 Value returned to part of program that called the
function when function finishes executing
STANDARD LIBRARY
FUNCTIONS AND THE IMPORT
STATEMENT
• Standard library: library of pre-written functions that
comes with Python
 Library functions perform tasks that programmers
commonly need
• Example: print, input, range
• Viewed by programmers as a “black box”
• Some library functions built into Python interpreter
 To use, just call the function
STANDARD LIBRARY FUNCTIONS
AND THE IMPORT STATEMENT
(CONT’D.)
•Modules: files that stores functions of the
standard library
 Help organize library functions not built into
the interpreter
 Copied to computer when you install Python
•To call a function stored in a module,
need to write an import statement
 Written at the top of the program
 Format: import module_name
STANDARD LIBRARY FUNCTIONS
AND THE IMPORT STATEMENT
(CONT’D.)
GENERATING RANDOM
NUMBERS
• Random number are useful in a lot of programming
tasks
• random module: includes library functions for
working with random numbers
• Dot notation: notation for calling a function
belonging to a module
 Format: module_name.function_name()
GENERATING RANDOM
NUMBERS (CONT’D.)
• randint function: generates a random number in
the range provided by the arguments
 Returns the random number to part of program that
called the function
 Returned integer can be used anywhere that an integer
would be used
 You can experiment with the function in interactive
mode
GENERATING RANDOM
NUMBERS (CONT’D.)
GENERATING RANDOM
NUMBERS (CONT’D.)
GENERATING RANDOM
NUMBERS (CONT’D.)
• randrange function: similar to range function, but
returns randomly selected integer from the resulting
sequence
 Same arguments as for the range function
• random function: returns a random float in the range
of 0.0 and 1.0
 Does not receive arguments
• uniform function: returns a random float but allows
user to specify range
RANDOM NUMBER SEEDS

• Random number created by functions in random

module are actually pseudo-random numbers
• Seed value: initializes the formula that generates
random numbers
 Need to use different seeds in order to get different
series of random numbers
• By default uses system time for seed
• Can use random.seed() function to specify desired seed
value
WRITING YOUR OWN VALUE-
RETURNING FUNCTIONS
• To write a value-returning function, you write a
simple function and add one or more return
statements
 Format: return expression
• The value for expression will be returned to the part of the
program that called the function
 The expression in the return statement can be a
complex expression, such as a sum of two variables or
the result of another value- returning function
WRITING YOUR OWN VALUE-
RETURNING FUNCTIONS
(CONT’D.)
HOW TO USE VALUE-
RETURNING FUNCTIONS
• Value-returning function can be useful in specific
situations
 Example: have function prompt user for input and
return the user’s input
 Simplify mathematical expressions
 Complex calculations that need to be repeated
throughout the program
• Use the returned value
 Assign it to a variable or use as an argument in another
function
USING IPO CHARTS

• IPO chart: describes the input, processing, and

output of a function
 Tool for designing and documenting functions
 Typically laid out in columns
 Usually provide brief descriptions of input, processing,
and output, without going into details
• Often includes enough information to be used instead of a
flowchart
USING IPO CHARTS (CONT’D.)
RETURNING STRINGS

• You can write functions that return strings

• For example:
RETURNING BOOLEAN
VALUES
• Boolean function: returns either True or False
 Use to test a condition such as for decision and
repetition structures
• Common calculations, such as whether a number is even,
can be easily repeated by calling a function
 Use to simplify complex input validation code
RETURNING MULTIPLE
VALUES
 In Python, a function can return multiple values
 Specified after the return statement separated by
commas
 Format: return expression1,
expression2, etc.
 When you call such a function in an assignment
statement, you need a separate variable on the left
side of the = operator to receive each returned value