Python - Functions¶

Functions¶

Specify optional parameters in the end. Specify the default values for optional parameters with = value notation

def func_name(arg1, arg2=None):
    operations
    return value

In [1]:

def func_add_numbers(num1, num2=10):
    return (num1 + num2)  # return can be called as a statement or as a function

def func_add_numbers(num1, num2=10): return (num1 + num2) # return can be called as a statement or as a function

In [2]:

func_add_numbers(2)

func_add_numbers(2)

Out[2]:

12

In [3]:

func_add_numbers(2,34)

func_add_numbers(2,34)

Out[3]:

36

In [4]:

func_add_numbers()

func_add_numbers()

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TypeError                                 Traceback (most recent call last)
/var/folders/d8/93856prx6tj3x7vdn97z2ps40000gn/T/ipykernel_43270/1819578982.py in <module>
----> 1 func_add_numbers()

TypeError: func_add_numbers() missing 1 required positional argument: 'num1'

Type hinting¶

Starting at Python 3.7 you can provide hits to specify argument data type

In [10]:

def func_add_numbers(a: int, b: int = 10) -> int:
    sum = a + b
    return sum

def func_add_numbers(a: int, b: int = 10) -> int: sum = a + b return sum

In [12]:

print(func_add_numbers(5, 4))
print(func_add_numbers(5))
print(func_add_numbers(5.5, 4.3))  # will still work as types are only hinted not enforced

print(func_add_numbers(5, 4)) print(func_add_numbers(5)) print(func_add_numbers(5.5, 4.3)) # will still work as types are only hinted not enforced

9
15
9.8

Productivity hacks for Python¶

These are good to know shortcuts and methods that will reduce the need for writing explicit loops and condition checks. The comprehensions explained in cheat sheet 1 is a start, and falls under this category.

Productivity functions

• lambda functions
• map function
• filter function
• reduce function

lambda functions¶

lambdas are anonymous functions, typicaly one liner functions

lambda arg : ret_val

In [1]:

def doubler(input_number):
    return input_number*2

def doubler(input_number): return input_number*2

In [2]:

doubler(45)

doubler(45)

Out[2]:

90

In [3]:

temp_fn = lambda arg : arg*2

temp_fn = lambda arg : arg*2

In [4]:

temp_fn(55)

temp_fn(55)

Out[4]:

110

In [5]:

type(temp_fn)

type(temp_fn)

Out[5]:

function

It looks silly now, but lambdas work great with map and other productivity functions. You can have other methods and functions that do the heavy lifting and call them in a particular order from a lambda

map function¶

The map function will perform an operation on all elements of an input list. You can execute a function on all elements of a list without a loop, like a comprehension.

map(function, sequence)  --> applies the function for each element in the sequence. The return sequence if of same length as input sequence

In [6]:

l1 = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]

#to double elements in this list using list comp
l1_double = [i*2 for i in l1]
l1_double

l1 = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7] #to double elements in this list using list comp l1_double = [i*2 for i in l1] l1_double

Out[6]:

[2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14]

In [7]:

#double using map and a function
l1_double_2 = list(map(doubler, l1))
l1_double_2

#double using map and a function l1_double_2 = list(map(doubler, l1)) l1_double_2

Out[7]:

[2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14]

In [15]:

#double using map and a lambda function
l1_double_3 = list(map(lambda arg:arg*2, l1))
l1_double_3

#double using map and a lambda function l1_double_3 = list(map(lambda arg:arg*2, l1)) l1_double_3

Out[15]:

[2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14]

filter function¶

filter function is used to filter out elements in a sequence based on a condition

filter(function, sequence)  --> applies the function for each element in sequence, but the return sequence is same or smaller than input based on the condition in the `function`.
The function should return a bool

In [9]:

#find only the odd numbers --> list comp way
l1_odd = [i for i in l1 if i%2 > 0]
l1_odd

#find only the odd numbers --> list comp way l1_odd = [i for i in l1 if i%2 > 0] l1_odd

Out[9]:

[1, 3, 5, 7]

In [13]:

# find only odd numbers --> filter with lambda way
l1_odd_2 = list(filter(lambda arg:arg%2>0, l1))
l1_odd_2

# find only odd numbers --> filter with lambda way l1_odd_2 = list(filter(lambda arg:arg%2>0, l1)) l1_odd_2

Out[13]:

[1, 3, 5, 7]

In [ ]: