04. WORKING WITH PYTHON FUNCTIONS-2.pdf

WORKING WITH FUNCTIONS
Divide and Conquer
1 04. WORKING WITH FUNCTIONS-2 - 18 July 2025

◻ Large programs are often difficult to manage, thus
large programs are divided into smaller units known as
functions.
◻ It is simply a group of statements under any name i.e.
function name and can be invoked (call) from other part
of program.
◻ Take an example of School Management Software, now
this software will contain various tasks like Registering
student,Feecollection, Library book issue, TCgeneration,
Result Declaration etc. In this case we have to create
different functions for each task to manage the
software development.
Introduction

Introduction
◻ Set of functions is stored in a file called MODULE.
And this approach is known as MODULARIZATION,
makes program easier to understand, test and
maintain.
◻ Commonlyusedmodulesthat contain source code for
generic need are called LIBRARIES.
◻ Modules contains set of functions. Functions is of
mainly two types:
🞑
Built-in Functions
🞑
User-Defined Functions

Advantages of Function
◻ PROGRAMHANDLINGEASIER: only small part of the
program is dealt with at a time.
◻ REDUCEDLoC: as with function the common set of code
is written only once and can be called from any part of
program, so it reducesLine of Code
◻ EASYUPDATING : if function is not used then set of
codeisto be repeated everywhere it is required. Hence
if we want to change in any formula/expression then we
have to make changes to every place, if forgotten then
output will be not the desired output. With function we
haveto makechangesto only one location.

User Defined Functions
◻ A function is a set of statements that performsa specific
task; a common structuring elements that allows you to
use a piece of code repeatedly in different part of
program. Functions are also known as sub-routine,
methods, procedure or subprogram.
◻ Syntax to create USERDEFINEDFUNCTION
def function_name([comma separated list of parameters]):
statements… .
statements… .
KEYWORD FUNCTION DEFINITION

P
oints to remember…
◻ Keyword def marks the start of function header
◻ Function name must be unique and follows naming rules
same as for identifiers
◻ Function can take arguments. It is optional
◻ A colon(:) to mark the end of function header
◻ Function can contains one or more statement to perform
specific task
◻ Anoptional returnstatementto return a value from the
function.
◻ Function must be called/invoked to execute its code

User Defined function can be….
1. Function with no arguments and no return
2. Function with arguments but no return value
3. Function with arguments and return value
4. Function with no argument but return value
Let usunderstand each of the function type with
example….

Functionwith no argument and no return
◻ This type of function is also known as void function
FUNCTION NAME NO P
ARAMETE
R,HENCEVOID
R
eturnkeyword not used
FUNCTION CALLING, IT WILL INVOKE welcome() TO PERFORMITSACTION

Function with parameters but no return value
◻ P
arameters are given in the parenthesis separated
by comma.
◻ Values are passed for the parameter at the time of
function calling.

Function with parameters but no return value

Function with parameter and return
◻ We can return values from function using return
keyword.
◻ The return value must be used at the calling place
by –
■Either store it any variable
■Use with print()
■Use in any expression

Function with return

Function with return
NOT
E
: the return statement ends
a function execution even if it is
in the middle of function.
Anything written below return
statement will become
unreachable code.
def max(x,y):
if x>y:
return x
else:
return y
print(“Iam not reachable”)

Function not returning value
◻ Function may or may not return a value. Non returning function
is also known as VOID function. It may or may not contain
return. If it containreturn statementthenit will be in the form
of:
🞑
return [no value after return]

P
arametersand Arguments in Function
◻ Parameters are the value(s) provided in the parenthesis when
we write function header. These are the values required by
function to work
◻ If there are more than one parameter, it must be separated by
comma(,)
◻ An Argument is a value that is passedto the function when it is
called. In other words arguments are the value(s) provided in
function call/invoke statement
◻ ParameterisalsoknownasFORMAL ARGUMENTS/PARAMETERS
ACTUAL
◻ Arguments is also known as
ARGUMENTS/PARAMETER
◻ Note: Function can alter only MUTABLETYPEvalues.

Example of Formal/Actual Arguments
ACTUALARGUMENT
FORMALARGUMENT

T
ypes of Arguments
◻ There are 4 types of Actual Argumentsallowed in
Python:
1. P
ositional arguments
2. Default arguments
3. Keyword arguments
4. Variable length arguments

P
ositional arguments
◻ Are argumentspassed to a function in correct
positional order
◻ Here x is passed to a and y is passed to b i.e. in the
order of their position

If the numberofformal argumentandactual differs thenPython
will raise anerror

Default arguments
◻ Sometimes we can provide default values for our
positional arguments. In this case if we are not
passing any value then default values will be
considered.
◻ Default argument must not followed by non-default
arguments.
def interest(principal,rate,time=15):
def interest(principal,rate=8.5,time=15):
def interest(principal,rate=8.5,time):
VALID
INVALID

Default arguments

Keyword(Named) Arguments
◻ The default keyword gives flexibility to specify
default value for a parameter so that it can be
skipped in the function call, if needed. However, still
we cannot change the order of arguments in
function call i.e. you have to remember the order of
the arguments and pass the value accordingly.
◻ Toget control and flexibility over the values sent as
arguments, python offers KEYWORD ARGUMENTS.
◻ This allows to call function with arguments in any
order using name of the arguments.

Keyword(Named) Argument

Rules for combining all three type of arguments
◻ An argument list must first contain positional
arguments followed by keyword arguments
◻ Keyword arguments should be taken from the
required arguments
◻ You cannot specify a value for an argument more
than once

R
eturning Multiple values
◻ Unlike other programming languages, python lets
you return more than one value from function.
◻ The multiple return value must be either stored in
TUPLEor wecanUNPACKthereceived value by
specifying the same number of variables on the left
of assignment of function call.
◻ Let ussee an example of both :-

Multiple return value stored in TUPLE

Multiple return value stored by
unpacking in multiple variables

Composition
◻ R
efers to using an expression as a part of large
large
expression, or a statement as a part of
statement.
◻ Examples
# Arithmetic
# Logical
🞑
Max((a+b),(c+a))
🞑
Prize(Card or
Cash)
🞑
name="Vikram“
🞑
print(name.replace("m","nt").upper()) #function

Scope of Variables
◻ SCOPEmeansin which part(s) of the program, a
particular piece of code or data is accessible or
known.
◻ In Python there are broadly 2 kinds of Scopes:
🞑
Global Scope
🞑
Local Scope

Global Scope
◻ A name declared in top level segment( main ) of
a program is said to have global scope and can be
used in entire program.
◻ Variable defined outside all functions are global
variables.

Local Scope
◻ A name declare in a function body is said to have
local scope i.e. it can be used only within this
function and the other block inside the function.
◻ The formal parameters are also having local scope.
◻ Let usunderstand with example… .

Example – Local and Global Scope

VINOD KUMARVERMA, PGT(CS), KV OEFKANPUR&
SACHIN BHARDWAJ, PGT(CS), KV NO.1 TEZPUR
„a‟ is not accessible
here becauseit is
declared in function
area(), so scope is
local to area()

Variable „ar‟ is accessible in
function showarea() because
it is having Global Scope

This declaration “global count” is
necessary for using global
variables in function, other wise an
error “local variable 'count'
referenced before assignment”
will appear because local scope
will create variable “count” and it
will be found unassigned

Lifetime of Variable
◻ Is the time for which a variable lives in memory. For
Global variables the lifetime isentire program run
i.e. as long as program is executing. For Local
variables lifetime is their function‟s run i.e. as long
as function is executing.

Name Resolution (Scope Resolution)
◻ For every name used within program python follows name resolution rules
known as LEGBrule.
◻ (i) LOCAL : first check whether name is in local environment, if yes
Python uses its value otherwise moves to (ii)
◻ (ii) ENCLOSING ENVIRONMENT: if not in local, Python checks whether
name is in Enclosing Environment, if yes Python uses its value
otherwise moves to (iii)
◻ GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT: if not in above scope Python checks it in
Global environment, if yes Python uses it otherwise moves to (iv)
◻ BUILT-INENVIRONMENT:if not in above scope,Python checksit in built-
in environment, if yes, Python uses its value otherwise Python would
report the error:
◻ name <variable> not defined

Predict the output
Programwith
variable “value” in
both LOCALand
GLOBAL SCOPE

Predict the output
Programwith
both LOCALand
GLOBAL SCOPE

Predict the output
Using GLOBAL
local scope

Predict the output
Variable “value”
neither in local nor
global scope

VINOD KUMARVERMA, PGT(CS), KV OEFKANPUR&
SACHIN BHARDWAJ, PGT(CS), KV NO.1 TEZPUR
Predict the output
Variable “value”
neither in local nor
global scope

Predict the output
Variable in Global
not in Local
(input in variable at
global scope)

Mutability/Immutability of Arguments/
Parametersand function call

◻ From the previous example we can recall the
concept learned in class XI that Python variables
are not storage containers, rather Python variables
are like memory references, they refer to memory
address where the value is stored, thus any change
in immutable type data will also change the
memory address. So any change to formal
argument will not reflect back to its
corresponding actual argument and in case of
mutable type, any change in mutable type will
not change the memory address of variable.

Because List if Mutable type, hence any change in formal
argument myList will not change the memory address, So
changes done to myList will be reflected back to List1.
However if we formal argument is assigned to some other variable or data type
thenlinkwill break andchangeswill notreflect back to actual argument
Forexample (if inside function updateData() we assign myList as:
myList = 20 OR myList = temp

P
assing String to function
◻ Function can accept string as a parameter
◻ As per Python, string is immutable type, so function
can access the value of string but cannot alter the
string
◻ To modify string, the trick is to take another string
and concatenate the modified value of parameter
string in the newly created string.
◻ Let us see few examples of passing string to
function…

Passingstring to function and counthow
many vowels in it

Program to count how many timesany
character ispresent in string

Program to Jumble the given string by passing
it to function using temporary string

P
assing List to function
◻ We can also passList to any function as parameter
◻ Due to the mutable nature of List, function can alter
the list of values in place.
◻ It is mostly used in data structure like sorting, stack,
queue etc.
◻ Let ussee how to passList to function by few
examples:

P
assing list to function, and just
double each value

P
assing list to function to double the
odd values and half the even values

Passingnested list to function and print all those values
which are at diagonal position in the form of matrix

Passinglist to function to calculate sumand average of all
numbers and return it in the form of tuple

P
assing tuples to function
◻ We can also pass tuples to function as parameter
◻ Due to its immutability nature, function can only
access the values of tuples but cannot modify it.
◻ Let us see how to pass tuples in function by few
example…

Input n numbers in tuple and pass it function to count
how many even and odd numbersare entered.

Creating a login program with the help of
passing tuple to function

Creating a login program with the help of
passing tuple to function
OUTPUTOF PREVIOUSPROGRAM

P
assing Dictionary to function
◻ Python also allows usto passdictionaries to function
◻ Due to its mutability nature, function can alter the
keys or values of dictionary in place
◻ Let ussee few examples of how to pass dictionary
to functions.

P
assing dictionary to function with list and stores the
value of list as key and its frequency or no. of
occurrence as value

Passing dictionary to function with key and value,
and update value at that key in dictionary

Understanding of main() function in Python
◻ By default every program starts their execution
from main() function. In Python including a main()
function is not mandatory. It can structure our Python
in a logical way that puts
components of the program
the most
in one
programs
important
function.
◻ We can get the name of current module executing
by using built-in variable name (2 underscore
before and after of name)

Understanding of main() function in Python
We can observe, by default the name of module will be main
Most non-python
programmers are having the
habit of writing main()
functionwheretheimportant
and starter code of programs
are written. In Python we can
also create main() and call it
by checking name to
main and then call any
function, in this case main()

Questions based on functions
◻ WAP to create function Lsearch() which takes List
and number to search and return the position of
number in list using Linear Searching method
◻ WAP to create function Bsearch() which takes List
and number to search and return the position of
number in list using Binary Searching method
◻ What is the difference between Local and Global
variables? Also give suitable Python code to
illustrate both

04. WORKING WITH PYTHON FUNCTIONS-2.pdf

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