Page 98 - Digicode_AI_class_8
P. 98

A function is a block of organised and reusable code used to perform a single or related action.
            Functions receive data in the form of arguments and use it to run a specified set of statements and
            produce the final output.

            Features of Function

            Some important features of functions are:

                A  program  is  divided  into  small  modules  and  each  module  performs  some  specific  task.  Each
               module can be called as per the requirement.

                We can call a function as many times as required. This saves the programmer the time and effort
               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 makes
               debugging 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. We can have functions of the same name with different parameters.

               Arguments: The input given to the functions are referred to as arguments. A function can or
               cannot have any arguments.
                Statements: The statements are the executable instructions that the function can perform.

               Return Value: A function may or may not return a value.

            Advantages of Functions

            Following are the advantages of functions:

                You can write Python program in logically independent sections.
               Functions provide better modularity for your application and a high degree of code reusing.

               As the program grows larger, functions make it more organized and manageable.

                The complexity of a program can be divided into simple subtasks and function subprograms can
               be written for every subtasks.
                Multiple persons can work on same program by assigning different functions to each of them.

               In Python, a function can call the same function again and again, called as recursiveness.

                You  could  also  bring  in  other  libraries  or  modules  to  your  program  that  contain  pre-defined
               functions readily available for use.

            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 about them in detail.

                 96    DigiCode AI-VIII
   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103