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Learning Python

You're reading from   Learning Python Learn to code like a professional with Python - an open source, versatile, and powerful programming language

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Product type Paperback
Published in Dec 2015
Publisher Packt
ISBN-13 9781783551712
Length 442 pages
Edition 1st Edition
Languages
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Author (1):
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Fabrizio Romano Fabrizio Romano
Author Profile Icon Fabrizio Romano
Fabrizio Romano
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Toc

Table of Contents (14) Chapters Close

Preface 1. Introduction and First Steps – Take a Deep Breath FREE CHAPTER 2. Built-in Data Types 3. Iterating and Making Decisions 4. Functions, the Building Blocks of Code 5. Saving Time and Memory 6. Advanced Concepts – OOP, Decorators, and Iterators 7. Testing, Profiling, and Dealing with Exceptions 8. The Edges – GUIs and Scripts 9. Data Science 10. Web Development Done Right 11. Debugging and Troubleshooting 12. Summing Up – A Complete Example Index

Chapter 4. Functions, the Building Blocks of Code

 

"To create architecture is to put in order. Put what in order? Function and objects."

 
 --Le Corbusier

In this chapter, we're going to explore functions. We already said that everything is an object in Python, and functions are no exception to this. But, what exactly is a function? A function is a sequence of instructions that perform a task, bundled as a unit. This unit can then be imported and used wherever it's needed. There are many advantages to using functions in your code, as we'll see shortly.

I believe the saying, a picture is worth one thousand words, is particularly true when explaining functions to someone who is new to this concept, so please take a look at the following image:

Functions, the Building Blocks of Code

As you can see, a function is a block of instructions, packaged as a whole, like a box. Functions can accept input arguments and produce output values. Both of these are optional, as we'll see in the...

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