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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.

                                                                                       Functions, String and List in Python  83

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