Functions: Using Python

Salil Kumar Verma

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Adilabad(T.S)
salilverma80@gmail.com

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Outline

Function Definition, syntax, types

Arguments/Parameters, types
Void and non-void function
Scope of a variable, global/local, LEGB rule
Flow of execution of a program
Passing immutable/mutable objects

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Function

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Function

A function is a portion of code within a larger

program that performs a specific task.

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Function

A function is a portion of code within a larger

program that performs a specific task.
Functions are useful in reusing the code and
eliminate code redundancy.

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Function

A function is a portion of code within a larger

program that performs a specific task.
Functions are useful in reusing the code and
eliminate code redundancy.
Functions are also used to organise our code into
manageable blocks.

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Syntax for functions

def function_name(parameters):
"""docstring"""
statement(s)
return [expression]

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Docstring

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Docstring

Documenting/commenting code is a good practice

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Docstring

Documenting/commenting code is a good practice

Docstrings are triple quoted comments entered just
after function definition

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Docstring

Documenting/commenting code is a good practice

Docstrings are triple quoted comments entered just
after function definition
It implies what the function does

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Example: Function

f(x) a mathematical function

f (x) = x 2
Above mentioned mathematical function can be written
in Python like this:

def f(x):
return x*x

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Anatomy of Python function

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Python Function types

pre-defined functions and are

Built-in always available for use. e.g.
len(), type(), int(), input() etc.

pre-defined in particular modules

defined in
and can only be used when the
modules
corresponding module is imported

User-
defined by programmer
defined

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Arguments and parameters

Consider following program segment

def multiply(a,b): #Function header
print(a*b)
y=3
multiply(12,y) #Function call 1
multiply(y,x) #Function call 2

value(s) in function header → Parameters/Formal

Arguments

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Arguments and parameters

Consider following program segment

def multiply(a,b): #Function header
print(a*b)
y=3
multiply(12,y) #Function call 1
multiply(y,x) #Function call 2

value(s) in function header → Parameters/Formal

Arguments
value(s) in function call → Arguments/Actual
Arguments

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Passing parameters

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Passing parameters

1 Positional arguments (Required arguments)

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Passing parameters

1 Positional arguments (Required arguments)

2 Default arguments

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Passing parameters

1 Positional arguments (Required arguments)

2 Default arguments
3 Keyword (or named ) arguments

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Positional/Required Arguments

if a function definition header is like:

def check(a,b,c):
.
.
.

then possible function calls for this can be:

check(x,y,z) # 3 values(all variables) passed
check(2,x,y) # 3 values (literal+variable) passed
check(2,5,7) # 3 values(all literals) passed

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Default Arguments

Example of function header with default values:

def interest(principal,time,rate=0.10):

Function calls for the function:

si_int=interest(5400,2) #third argument missing
si_int=interest(6100,3,0.15) #no argument missing

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Keyword (Named) Arguments

If function header is:

def interest(prin,time,rate):

Function calls using keyword arguments:

interest(prin=2000,time=2,rate=0.10)
interest(time=4,prin=2000,rate=0.10)
interest(time=2,rate=0.12,prin=2000)

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Using multiple argument types together

Consider following function header:

def interest(prin,cc,time=2,rate=0.09):
return prin*time*rate

Some function call statements:

interest(cc=4,rate=0.12,prin=5000) (legal)

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Using multiple argument types together

Consider following function header:

def interest(prin,cc,time=2,rate=0.09):
return prin*time*rate

Some function call statements:

interest(cc=4,rate=0.12,prin=5000) (legal)
interest(rate=0.05,5003) (illegal)

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Using multiple argument types together

Consider following function header:

def interest(prin,cc,time=2,rate=0.09):
return prin*time*rate

Some function call statements:

interest(cc=4,rate=0.12,prin=5000) (legal)
interest(rate=0.05,5003) (illegal)
interest(5000,prin=300,cc=2) (illegal)

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Returning values from function

Functions returning some values (non-void

functions)

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Returning values from function

Functions returning some values (non-void

functions)
Functions not returning any value(void functions)

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Returning values from function

Functions returning some values (non-void

functions)
Functions not returning any value(void functions)
Functions returning multiple values

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Scope of variables

Scope
Part(s) of program within which a name is legal and
accessible.

Global Scope
A name declared in top level segment( main ) of a
program, it can be used inside whole program and all
blocks(functions,other blocks).

Local Scope
A name declared in a function-body is said to have local
scope, i.e. it can be used only within this function.

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Scope Example I
Program
1. def calcsum(x,y):
2. z=x+y
3. return z

4. num1=int(input("Enter first number:"))

5. num2=int(input("Enter second number:"))
6. sum=calcsum(num1,num2)
7. print("Sum of given number is ",sum)

Flow of execution of above program:

Line1 Line4 Line5 Line6 Line2 Line3 Line6 Line7

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Scope Example II
Program:
1. def calcsum(a,b,c):
2. s=a+b+c
3. return s
4. def average(x,y,z):
5. sm=calcsum(x,y,z)
6. return sm/3
7. num1=int(input("Number 1:"))
8. num2=int(input("Number 2:"))
9. num3=int(input("Number 3:"))
10. print("Average is:",average(num1,num2,num3))

Flow of execution of above program:

Line7
Line2 Line5
Line1 Line4 Line8 Line10 Line5 Line10
Line3 Line6
Line9

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Name Resolution (LEGB Rule)

Local Enclosing Global Built-in

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Mutable/Immutable properties of passed data
objects

Python’s variables are not storage containers,

rather Python variables are like memory references;
they refer to the memory address where the value
is stored.

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Mutable/Immutable properties of passed data
objects

Python’s variables are not storage containers,

rather Python variables are like memory references;
they refer to the memory address where the value
is stored.
Depending upon the mutability/immutability of its
data type, a variable behaves differently.

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Passing an immutable/mutable data type

Passing an immutable type value to a function

If a variable is referring to an immutable type then any
changes in its value will also change the memory
address it is referring to.

Passing a mutable type value to a function

If a variable is referring to mutable type then any
change in the value of mutable type will not change the
memory address of the variable.

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Summary of mutable/immutable type’s behaviour

Changes in immutable types are not reflected in

the caller function at all.

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Summary of mutable/immutable type’s behaviour

Changes in immutable types are not reflected in

the caller function at all.
Changes,if any, in mutable types

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Summary of mutable/immutable type’s behaviour

Changes in immutable types are not reflected in

the caller function at all.
Changes,if any, in mutable types
are reflected in caller function if its name is not
assigned a different variable or datatype.

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Summary of mutable/immutable type’s behaviour

Changes in immutable types are not reflected in

the caller function at all.
Changes,if any, in mutable types
are reflected in caller function if its name is not
assigned a different variable or datatype.
are not reflected in the caller function if it is
assigned a different variable or datatype.

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