Using user-defined functions
Sometimes, you may need to create your own function to perform very specific operations. This is common in the data science world, especially as it relates to data cleaning, preprocessing, and modeling activities.
In this section, we will discuss user-defined functions, which are functions created by the programmer to perform specific tasks. They are not unlike mathematical functions, which (usually) take some inputs and (often) produce some outputs. User-defined functions are designed to take 0 or more inputs, do some specific computation(s) (we’ll just call it stuff), and produce an output.
This process is especially helpful when performing repeated tasks. In fact, the rule of thumb is to use it if you have to do a task more than once. In more advanced cases, user functions are also helpful for code reusability, organization, readability, and maintainability.
Breaking down the user-defined function syntax
When used effectively, user...
