Function
- A python function is used to define a set of code or functionality.
- A function is only executed when it is called.
- You can pass values using arguments inside a function.
- In Python to define a function def keyword is used followed with the function name.
Defining a Function in Python
def sumf(a, b):
print("I am inside function")
c = a + b
return c
a = int(input())
b = int(input())
print(sumf(a, b))
- Here in this code a function named sumf is created.
- a, b are the arguments used to pass value of input whose sum has to be calculated.
- c is the variable which is used to store sum of arguments a and b.
- In the last line sumf(a, b) is used to call the function which prints the output returned by function.
In Python, *args and **kwargs are special syntax used to pass a variable number of arguments to a function. They provide a flexible way to define functions that can accept any number of arguments, which is especially useful in situations where the number of arguments that a function needs to handle may vary.
*args is used to pass a variable number of non-keyworded arguments to a function. The arguments are passed as a tuple and can be accessed using the index notation. This means that you can pass any number of positional arguments to a function using *args.
Example:
def multiply(*args):
result = 1
for arg in args:
result *= arg
return result
print(multiply(2, 3, 4)) # Output: 24
In this example, we define a function multiply that accepts any number of arguments using *args. The function calculates the product of all the arguments passed and returns the result.
**kwargs is used to pass a variable number of keyworded arguments to a function. The arguments are passed as a dictionary and can be accessed using the key-value notation. This means that you can pass any number of keyword arguments to a function using **kwargs.
Example:
def print_values(**kwargs):
for key, value in kwargs.items():
print(f"{key}: {value}")
print_values(a=1, b=2, c=3)
In this example, we define a function print_values that accepts any number of keyword arguments using **kwargs. The function prints the key-value pairs of all the arguments passed.
Benefits of using *args and **kwargs:
- They provide a flexible way to define functions that can accept any number of arguments, which makes the code more modular and easier to maintain.
- They allow you to write functions that can handle different types of arguments without having to define separate functions for each case.
- They make it easier to work with third-party libraries that may use different argument conventions.
- They can help you write cleaner and more concise code by reducing the need for repetitive boilerplate code.
