Passing arguments and returning values from functions

Improve your Python programming skills with our beginner-friendly tutorial on passing arguments and returning values from functions. Learn how to accept input and provide output in Python functions, with detailed examples.

Hey future Python wizard, welcome to Python Help!

Today, we’re going to talk about passing arguments and returning values from functions in Python. Functions are an essential part of any programming language, and in Python, they’re powerful for the ability to accept input and provide output.

In this article, we’ll cover the basics of passing arguments and returning values from functions in Python, with detailed examples to help you understand how they work.

Passing Arguments to Functions in Python

To pass arguments to a function in Python, you simply include them in the function definition, separated by commas. For example:

def greet(name):
    print("Hello, " + name + "!")

greet("John")

In this example, we’ve defined a function called “greet” that takes a single parameter called “name”. We then call the function with the argument “John”, and it prints “Hello, John!” to the console.

Returning Values from Functions in Python

To return a value from a function in Python, you use the “return” keyword. For example:

def square(number):
    return number * number

result = square(5)
print(result)

In this example, we’ve defined a function called “square” that takes a single parameter called “number” and returns its square. We then call the function with the argument “5”, and it returns the value “25”, which we store in a variable called “result” and print to the console.

Passing Multiple Arguments to Functions in Python

You can also pass multiple arguments to a function in Python, separated by commas.

For example:

def add_numbers(num1, num2):
    return num1 + num2

result = add_numbers(5, 10)
print(result)

In this example, we’ve defined a function called add_numbers that takes two parameters called num1 and num2.

We then call the function with the arguments 5 and 10, and it returns the value 15, which we store in a variable called “result” and print to the console.

Conclusion

Passing arguments and returning values from functions are essential tools in Python programming. In this tutorial, we covered the basics of passing arguments and returning values from functions in Python, with detailed examples to help you understand how they work. By mastering these concepts, you’ll be able to write more powerful and flexible Python programs.

I hope you found this article helpful in your journey to mastering Python functions. Stay tuned for more programming tips and tricks in the future!