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INTRODUCTION TO PYTHON FUNCTIONS


                  It is always advisable to perform a bigger task after breaking 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 to break our program into smaller pieces or modules.

                  As our program becomes large and complex, functions make it more organised and manageable.
                  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 central aspect on which the concept of procedural programming works.


                  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 the time and
                    effort by not having to rewrite the same code again. Therefore, it also reduces the length of

                    the program.
                      Dividing a bigger program into smaller functions makes the program more manageable. It
                    simplifies debugging 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
                    may not 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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