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INTRODUCING PYTHON FUNCTIONS
It is always advisable to perform a larger task after dividing it down into a set of manageable
tasks. This division enables us to manage the task in a more organised manner.
In a programming language, functions help us break our program into smaller pieces, or modules.
As our program grows in size and complexity, functions help organise and manage it. Like any
other programming language, Python also allows us to use functions in a program.
A function can be defined as a block of reusable code that performs a specific task. This concept
is the foundation upon which the procedural programming concept operates.
FEATURES OF FUNCTION
Functions are the basis of procedural programming. Some important features of functions are:
A program is divided into small modules and each module performs a specific task. Each
module can be called as needed.
We can call a function as many times as required. This saves the programmer time and effort
to rewrite the same code again. Therefore, it also reduces the length of the program.
Dividing a larger program into smaller functions makes the program more manageable. It
makes error detection easy and makes the code efficient, both in terms of time and memory.
COMPONENTS OF PYTHON FUNCTION
A Python function consists of the following components:
Name of the function: A function name should be unique and easy to correlate with the task it
will perform. Function names must be unique within their scope.
Arguments: The input given to the functions is referred to as arguments. A function may or
maynot have any arguments.
Statements: The statements are the executable instructions that the function perform.
Return Value: A function may or may not return a value.
TYPES OF FUNCTIONS IN PYTHON
We have mentioned earlier that one of the strengths of the Python language is that Python
functions are easy to define and use. Python functions can be categorised into built-in functions
and user-defined functions. Let us discuss them in detail.
Built-In Functions
The print() and input() belong to the category of built-in functions. We also have other built-in
functions like range(), type(), etc.
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