Hi, I can't speak about python as I am now discovering it my self but I
do understand a bit about functions. So let me try to explain as a
newbie to newbie. The examples below are not valid python code but they
do display the logic.
Lets say you want two temperatures in Fahrenheit but you have two
temperatures in Celsius instead. The formula to convert the temperature
from Celsius to Fahrenheit is x * 1.8 + 32 = y where x is the
temperature in C and y is the temperature in F. So now we have
var x1 = 30 #first variable in C
var x2 = 50 #second variable in C
and if you want the temperatures in F
var y1 = x1 / 1.8 + 32
var y2 = x2 * 1,8 + 32
For such a small code this works well. It is not a big deal. What if you
have a complicated mathematical formula in there or many things to do?
It will get quite lengthy and tiresome to type the same things again and
again. Also are you sure you can type it always without errors? I
purposely inserted a typo in both calls. Did you catch them? What if
they were 30 calls like this?
Introducing functions. A function is a programming ummm... thing that
can take few parameters and perform an action and optionally return a
result. Following the example above we can introduce this function
celsiusToFahrenheit(temperatureInCelsius=0)
var temperatureInFahrenheit = temperatureInCelsius * 1.8 + 32
return temperatureInFahrenheit
Above *celsiusToFahrenheit* is the name of the function.
*temperatureInCelsius* is the parameter. There can be more than one.
( For example a function that adds 2 numbers could be
add(number1, number2)
return number1 + number2
)
Notice that it is defined as temperatureInCelsius=0. That means that in
case you don't provide any parameters it will use 0 as default. During
the workings of the function that parameter can act as a variable.
As soon as the function finishes it's job that variable and any other
variables defined (e.g. temperatureInFahrenheit) will be destroyed and
cease to exist. Only the *value that is returned* survives and you must
assign it to a variable in your main program otherwise you will loose
that too.
*return* is what it will return back where you called it. You may write
a function that doesn't need to return anything. In that case you can
omit the return statement.
Now our code above could be written as
celsiusToFahrenheit(temperatureInCelsius=0)
var temperatureInFahrenheit = temperatureInCelsius * 1.8 - 32
return temperatureInFahrenheit
var x1 = 30 #first variable in C
var x2 = 50 #second variable in C
and if you want the temperatures in F
var y1 = celsiusToFahrenheit(x1)
var y2 = celsiusToFahrenheit(x2)
var y3 = celsiusToFahrenheit()
celsiusToFahrenheit(x1) # kiss the returned variable bye bye
The first two y1 and y2 will call celsiusToFahrenheit with x1 or x2 as
parameter. Notice that we don't need to use the same name for the
parameter in the declaration and in the function call. The third
variable y3 calls it without parameters. This is possible because in the
definition we have temperatureInCelsius=0 so the parameter is
substituted automatically to 0 and that function will return 32. BTW in
that function I have made another typo. Did you catch it? In how many
places do you have to fix the typo now?
I hope this helps.
On 04/07/2014 07:02 AM, keith papa wrote:> Hi my name is keith and am
new to python programming, Am learning python
> for the first time with the help of coursera problem is am starting a
> new topic call functions in python and am totally lost. can you please
> help me understand how function work? why it use in python, what are the
> rules of function etc.
>
>
> this some of the code the teacher used as an example.
>
> http://www.codeskulptor.org/#examples-functions.py
>
>
> this is the video explaing functions:
>
> https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=B91E3E58ABADC574%21863
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org
> To unsubscribe or change subscription options:
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
>
On 04/07/2014 07:02 AM, keith papa wrote:
Hi my name is keith and am new to python programming, Am learning python
for the first time with the help of coursera problem is am starting a
new topic call functions in python and am totally lost. can you please
help me understand how function work? why it use in python, what are the
rules of function etc.
this some of the code the teacher used as an example.
http://www.codeskulptor.org/#examples-functions.py
this is the video explaing functions:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=B91E3E58ABADC574%21863
_______________________________________________
Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org
To unsubscribe or change subscription options:
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
_______________________________________________
Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org
To unsubscribe or change subscription options:
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
