Understanding Python Functions and Arguments

Functions are a fundamental concept in programming. They are blocks of code that perform a specific task and can be called from other parts of your program. Functions in Python can take arguments (inputs) and return values (outputs). In this tutorial, we will cover how to create and call functions in Python, as well as function arguments, parameters, and return values. We also discuss how call-by-value and call-by-reference work in Python. The usage of the anonymous function is also covered in this tutorial.

Creating Functions

In Python, you can create a function using the def keyword followed by the function name, parentheses, and a colon. The code block for the function should be indented after the colon. Here's an example of a simple function that prints "Hello, World!":

def say_hello():
    print("Hello, World!")

To call the say_hello() function, simply write its name followed by parentheses:

say_hello()  

The output will be:

Hello, World!

Function Arguments

Functions can take one or more arguments, which are specified in parentheses when defining the function. Here’s an example of a function that takes two arguments and prints their sum: