Function parameters and local variables

Function parameters and local variables

In Python, a function is a block of code that performs a specific task. Functions can be defined with parameters, which are placeholders for data that will be passed into the function when it is called. These parameters are used as local variables inside the function and their values are assigned when the function is called.

For example, consider the following function that takes two parameters and returns their sum:

python

def add_numbers(x, y):

    sum = x + y

    return sum

When this function is called with two arguments, the values of those arguments are assigned to the parameters ‘x’ and ‘y’ inside the function. These parameters act as local variables inside the function and are only accessible within the function’s scope. The sum variable is also a local variable inside the function and is only accessible within the function.

In addition to parameters, functions can also define local variables. These variables are created inside the function and can only be accessed within the function’s scope. Local variables can be used to store intermediate results or perform calculations.

For example, consider the following function that calculates the factorial of a number using a local variable:

arduino

def factorial(n):

    result = 1

    for i in range(1, n + 1):

        result *= i

    return result

In this function, the result variable is a local variable that is used to store the factorial of the input ‘n’. The variable is initialized to 1 and then multiplied by each number from 1 to ‘n’ using a for loop. It is important to note that when a function is called, the arguments passed into the function are evaluated before the function is executed. This means that any expressions or variables used as arguments are evaluated before being passed into function.

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