How to use functions in python

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:

Example

Calling a Function

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

Example

def my_function():
print(«Hello from a function»)

my_function()

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:

Example

def my_function(fname):
print(fname + » Refsnes»)

my_function(«Emil»)
my_function(«Tobias»)
my_function(«Linus»)

Arguments are often shortened to args in Python documentations.

Parameters or Arguments?

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

From a function’s perspective:

A parameter is the variable listed inside the parentheses in the function definition.

An argument is the value that is sent to the function when it is called.

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.

Example

This function expects 2 arguments, and gets 2 arguments:

def my_function(fname, lname):
print(fname + » » + lname)

Example

This function expects 2 arguments, but gets only 1:

def my_function(fname, lname):
print(fname + » » + lname)

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:

Example

If the number of arguments is unknown, add a * before the parameter name:

def my_function(*kids):
print(«The youngest child is » + kids[2])

my_function(«Emil», «Tobias», «Linus»)

Arbitrary Arguments are often shortened to *args in Python documentations.

Keyword Arguments

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

This way the order of the arguments does not matter.

Example

def my_function(child3, child2, child1):
print(«The youngest child is » + child3)

my_function(child1 = «Emil», child2 = «Tobias», child3 = «Linus»)

The phrase Keyword Arguments are often shortened to kwargs in Python documentations.

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:

Example

If the number of keyword arguments is unknown, add a double ** before the parameter name:

def my_function(**kid):
print(«His last name is » + kid[«lname»])

my_function(fname = «Tobias», lname = «Refsnes»)

Arbitrary Kword Arguments are often shortened to **kwargs in Python documentations.

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:

Example

def my_function(country = «Norway»):
print(«I am from » + country)

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:

Example

def my_function(food):
for x in food:
print(x)

fruits = [«apple», «banana», «cherry»]

Return Values

To let a function return a value, use the return statement:

Example

The pass Statement

function definitions cannot be empty, but if you for some reason have a function definition with no content, put in the pass statement to avoid getting an error.

Example

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.

Example

def tri_recursion(k):
if(k > 0):
result = k + tri_recursion(k — 1)
print(result)
else:
result = 0
return result

print(«\n\nRecursion Example Results»)
tri_recursion(6)

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Python Functions – How to Define and Call a Function

Kolade Chris

In programming, a function is a reusable block of code that executes a certain functionality when it is called.

Functions are integral parts of every programming language because they help make your code more modular and reusable.

In this article, I will show you how to define a function in Python and call it, so you can break down the code of your Python applications into smaller chunks.

I will also show you how arguments and the return keyword works in Python functions.

Basic Syntax for Defining a Function in Python

In Python, you define a function with the def keyword, then write the function identifier (name) followed by parentheses and a colon.

The next thing you have to do is make sure you indent with a tab or 4 spaces, and then specify what you want the function to do for you.

def functionName(): # What to make the function do 

Basic Examples of a Function in Python

Following the basic syntax above, an example of a basic Python function printing “Hello World” to the terminal looks like this:

def myfunction(): print("Hello World") 

To call this function, write the name of the function followed by parentheses:

Next, run your code in the terminal by typing python filename.py to show what you want the function to do:

Another basic example of subtractig 2 numbers looks like this:

def subtractNum(): print(34 - 4) subtractNum() # Output: 30 

Arguments in Python Functions

While defining a function in Python, you can pass argument(s) into the function by putting them inside the parenthesis.

The basic syntax for doing this looks as shown below:

def functionName(arg1, arg2): # What to do with function 

When the function is called, then you need to specify a value for the arguments:

functionName(valueForArg1, valueForArg2) 

Here’s an example of arguments in a Python function:

def addNum(num1, num2): print(num1 + num2) addNum(2, 4) # Output: 6 

• I passed 2 arguments into the function named addNum
• I told it to print the sum of the 2 arguments to the terminal
• I then called it with the values for the 2 arguments specified

N.B.: You can specify as many arguments as you want.

How to Use the Return Keyword in Python

In Python, you can use the return keyword to exit a function so it goes back to where it was called. That is, send something out of the function.

The return statement can contain an expression to execute once the function is called.

The example below demonstrates how the return keyword works in Python:

def multiplyNum(num1): return num1 * 8 result = multiplyNum(8) print(result) # Output: 64 

What’s the code above doing?

• I defined a function named multiplyNum and passed it num1 as an argument
• Inside the function, I used the return keyword to specify that I want num1 to be multiplied by 8
• After that, I called the function, passed 8 into it as the value for the num1 argument, and assigned the function call to a variable I named result
• With the result variable, I was able to print what I intended to do with the function to the terminal

Conclusion

In this article, you learned how to define and call functions in Python. You also learned how to pass arguments into a function and use the return keyword, so you can be more creative with the functions you write.

If you find this article helpful, don’t hesitate to share it with your friends and family.

Kolade Chris

Web developer and technical writer focusing on frontend technologies. I also dabble in a lot of other technologies.

If you read this far, tweet to the author to show them you care. Tweet a thanks

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