Computer Programming

Functions

Eyob S.

SITE, AAiT

June 16, 2024

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Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 Types of Functions

3 Parameters and Arguments

4 Variable Scopes

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Introduction

Introduction

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Definition

A function in Python is a block of reusable code designed to perform

a specific task.

It can take inputs, process them, and return a result.

Functions help in organizing code into manageable sections, making it

easier to understand, test, and maintain.

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Why Functions?

Modularity: Functions allow the code to be divided into smaller,

manageable pieces.

Reusability: Functions can be called multiple times, avoiding code

duplication.

Maintainability: Functions simplify debugging and testing.

Abstraction: Functions hide implementation details and expose only

necessary parts to the user.

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Defining and Calling Functions

Defining a Function:
def function_name(parameters):
"""
Docstring (optional)
"""
# Function body
return result
Calling a Function:
result = function_name(arguments)

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Types of Functions

Types of Functions

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1. Built-in Functions

Python provides many built-in functions that are always available. Here are
some of the most commonly used:

abs() divmod() input() open()

all() enumerate() int() ord()
any() eval() iter() pow()
bin() exec() print() float()
list() chr() len() range()
max() set() complex() round()
min() ord() sorted() next()
dict() hex() dir() type()
id() oct() str() sum()

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Module

A module in Python is a file containing Python code (functions, classes,

variables) that can be imported and used in other Python programs.

Modules help organize and reuse code.

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Important Modules in Python

Python’s standard library includes many modules that provide addi-

tional functionality. Here are some important ones:

math random
sys re
itertools functools
os collections
datetime json
heapq operator

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Using the math Module

The math module provides mathematical functions and constants.

import math

print(math.sqrt(16)) # Output: 4.0

print(math.pi) # Output: 3.141592653589793
print(math.factorial(5)) # Output: 120
print(math.sin(math.pi/2)) # Output: 1.0

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Using the random Module

The random module provides functions for generating random numbers and
performing random operations.

import random
# Random float between 0.0 and 1.0
print(random.random())
# Random integer between 1 and 10
print(random.randint(1, 10))
# Random choice
print(random.choice(['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']))
# 5 unique random numbers
print(random.sample(range(100), 5))

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Using the datetime Module

The datetime module supplies classes for manipulating dates and times.

import datetime

now = datetime.datetime.now()
print(now) # Output: Current date and time

new_year = datetime.datetime(2024, 1, 1)
print(new_year) # Output: 2024-01-01 00:00:00

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Using the os Module

The os module provides functions for interacting with the operating system.

import os

print(os.name) # Output: Name of the operating system

print(os.getcwd()) # Output: Current working directory
os.mkdir('new_folder') # Create a new directory
os.rmdir('new_folder') # Remove a directory

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2. User-defined Functions

User-defined Functions: These are functions created by the user using

the def keyword.

def greet(name):
return f"Hello, {name}!"

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3. Void Functions

Functions that do not have the return statement.

Used for performing actions or procedures.

If you try to assign the result to a variable, you get a special value
called None.

def print_message():
print("Hello, World!")
result = print_message()

print(result)
print(print_message())

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4. Fruitful Functions

Functions that return a value.

Used for calculations or data processing.

Example: Calculating the sum of two numbers.

def add(a, b):

return a + b

result = add(3, 5)
print(result)

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5. Boolean Functions

Functions that return a boolean value (True/False).

Used for decision making.

Example: Checking if a number is even.

def is_even(n):
return n % 2 == 0

print(is_even(4))
print(is_even(7))

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6. Recursive Functions

Functions that call themselves.

Used for problems that can be broken down into smaller, similar prob-
lems.

def factorial(n):
if n == 0:
return 1
else:
return n * factorial(n - 1)

print(factorial(5))

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Parameters and Arguments

Parameters and Arguments

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Parameters and Arguments

Parameters: These are variables listed inside the parentheses in the

function definition.

def greet(name): # 'name' is a parameter

return f"Hello, {name}!"

Arguments: These are the actual values passed to the function when
it is called.

greet('Alice') # 'Alice' is an argument

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Example

# function definition
def calculate_area(length, width):
"""
This function calculates the area of a rectangle.
"""
area = length * width
return area

# Function call with arguments

area = calculate_area(5, 3)
print(f"The area is {area}")

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Default Parameters

Parameters with default values.

Used when some arguments are optional.

def greet(name, message="Hello"):

print(f"{message}, {name}!")

greet("Alice")
greet("Bob", "Hi")

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Keyword Arguments

Parameters passed by name.

Increases readability and allows parameter reordering.

def describe_pet(animal_type, pet_name):

print(f"I have a {animal_type} named {pet_name}.")

describe_pet(animal_type="dog", pet_name="Rex")
describe_pet(pet_name="Mittens", animal_type="cat")

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Unknown Number of Parameters

def sum_numbers(*args):
return sum(args)

print(sum_numbers(1, 2, 3))
print(sum_numbers(4, 5, 6, 7))

def print_info(**kwargs):
for key, value in kwargs.items():
print(f"{key}: {value}")

print_info(name="Alice", age=30, city="New York")

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Variable Scopes

Variable Scopes

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Global Variables

Variables defined outside any function.

Accessible from any part of the code.

x = 10 # Global variable

def print_global():
print(x)

print_global()

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Global Variables

# Define a global variable

x = 10

def modify_global():
global x
x = 20

print("Before function call:", x)

modify_global()
print("After function call:", x)

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Local Variables

Variables defined inside a function and only accessible within the

function.

y = 10 # global variable
def print_local():
y = 5 # Local variable
z = 7 # Local variable
print(y,z)

print_local()
print(z) # This would cause an error
print(y) # prints the value 10
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Dead Code

Code that is never executed.

Can occur due to conditions that are always false.

Example: Unreachable code after a return statement.

Reduces code readability and can lead to maintenance issues.

def example_function():
return "This will be returned"
print("This will never be printed") # Dead code

print(example_function())

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END

Thank You!!!

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