Functions are blocks of code that perform a specific task and a value. They are a type of , along with procedures, and can be called multiple times within a program. Functions are designed to accomplish a specific objective and are usually named with a (e.g., calculateSum, validateEmail). Procedures, on the other hand, are blocks of code that perform a specific task returning a value and can accept input parameters. Procedures are typically used to group related code together and make the program more and modular.
Local variables are variables that are defined within a function and are only accessible that function. They exist only during the function's execution, and once the function finishes, the local are destroyed and their values are lost. On the contrary, global variables are defined outside of any function and can be accessed and modified by any function within the same program. If we want to alter variables from inside a function, then we need to use the keyword inside the function. Scope refers to the region of a program where a variable is accessible, highlighting the differences between local and global scope in programming.
In Python, a function parameter can have a value assigned to it, making it optional during the function call. This means that we can provide a default value for a parameter, which will be used if no value is explicitly when calling the function. Required parameters are those that must be provided to a function when it is called; these parameters are mandatory and if not provided, the function will raise an . Parameters are variables declared in a function's signature to define the inputs, while arguments are the specific values that are provided to the function when calling it.
Keywords
passed | verb | variables | global | error | subprogram | without | organized | within | return | default | global |
