Functions

Functions break down the programming into a series of well-defined tasks. This makes code easier to read, debug, and maintain. Functions also reduce “cut and paste” errors. If a code carries out the same operations on different data more than once, those sections should be converted to a function.

Functions have some similarities to mathematical functions, but also some differences. A function has a name, arguments, a body of code implementing the algorithm for evaluating the function, and a return value. The name of the function is chosen by the programmer and must obey the same rules as variable naming in Python.

Defining Functions

Functions (usually) take arguments. In computer-science language the variable that represents an argument in the function definition is often called a parameter or a dummy variable. In strict usage the sequence of variables may be called the argument list in the caller and the parameter list in the function definition; however, these terms tend to be used interchangeably. Arguments are said to be passed from the caller to the function.

The function returns a value, which replaces the function’s name after it has been executed. In Python functions must always return a value; if the programmer does not specify one, Python returns the special value None. A function may return exactly one item, but that quantity may be a compound data structure such as a list or tuple, so it is possible to return multiple values from a function.

Functions must be called by name or they do nothing. Their code is static until it is invoked by a caller. The interpreter must have encountered the function definition before it can be called; interpreters cannot move upward in a file. Invoking a function causes its name to take on the return value, but in Python functions are not equivalent to variables – that value will not be stored anywhere. It must be explicitly assigned, used in an expression, or printed for the result to be captured.

Best practice is to place all the functions you will use at the top of the file, right after the main docstring. Functions may have a docstring themselves. This is particularly important if the function is lengthy or complicated.

Python Syntax

The keyword is def (define) followed by the name of the function. The function name must be followed by parentheses whether any arguments are passed or not. The def keyword begins a code block, so a colon is required. All statements in the body of the function must be indented. The docstring must immediately follow the def line and be indented one level. Recall that docstrings are enclosed in triple double quotes (“““string”""). Values are returned with the return statement. The return causes an immediate exit from the function; no further statements will be executed.

Examples

def sum_vals(x,y,z):
    """Computes the sum of its input values"""
    return x+y+z

def make_list(x,y,z):
    """Makes a new list"""
    new_list=[x,y,z]
    return new_list

def sum_diff(x,y):
    """Returns the sum and difference of two values"""
    return x+y,x-y

Notice the use of tuple packing in the third example. An equally valid, but not commonly used, last line could be return (x+y,x-y).

Exercise

If you have not already done so, type in the three functions from the example. Run the cell or script. Then type into the interpreter

sum_vals(1,2,3)
sum_vals(1.2,3.4,4.5)
sum_vals("1","2","3")
make_list(1.,11.,3.)
make_list([1.,11.],3.,4.)
sum_diff(3,4)
s_3=sum_vals(8,8,10)
s_3

If you want to use these functions in a Python script, it is often convenient to store their returned values in a variable and then do something with that variable, e.g. print its value. For example:

result=sum_values(1,2,3)

Invoking Functions

The names of the variables in a function’s parameter list are called dummies because they are placeholders. The function can be called with any variable names in the caller.

xx=1.; yy=2.; zz=3.
sum_vals(xx,yy,zz)
sum_vals(zz,xx,yy)
sum_diff(xx,yy,zz)
sum_diff(zz,xx,yy)
make_list(xx,zz,yy)
make_list(yy,xx,zz)

The arguments in the lists in both caller and callee must agree in number and in type. There is a one-to-one correspondence between positional arguments in the caller and the callee so there must be exactly one in the caller for each in the callee. In Python there is more freedom in the types but whatever happens to the variable in the function must make sense for the type that is passed to it. For example, the + operator in sum_vals is defined for integers, floats, and strings (as well as for some other types) so it is valid to pass those types to the function, but they cannot be mixed. An illegal operation on the type actually passed will cause the interpreter to stop with an exception.

Exercise

Convert your program from an earlier exercise to use a function to compute the BMI. Remember the formula: BMI = (Weight in Kilograms / (Height in Meters x Height in Meters))

Write another function that takes a BMI value and returns the category (Underweight, Normal, Overweight, Obese I-III) as an integer. Use a data structure to convert the integer to a message.

def BMI(unit,weight,height):
    if unit=="1":
        BMI=weight*703.1/height**2
    elif unit=="2":
        BMI=weight/height**2
    else:
        print("Invalid unit request")
        BMI=None
    return BMI

def BMI_table(bmi_val):
   if         bmi_val < 18.5 : return 0
   if 18.5 <= bmi_val < 25.0 : return 1
   if 25.0 <= bmi_val < 30.0 : return 2
   if 30.0 <= bmi_val < 35.0 : return 3
   if 35.0 <= bmi_val < 40.0 : return 4
   if 40.0 <= bmi_val < 45.0 : return 5
   if         bmi_val > 45.0 : return 6


category=["Underweight","Normal","Overweight",
          "Obese Class I","Obese Class II","Obese Class III","Obese Class IV"]

unit=input("Enter 1 for Imperial or 2 for metric units:")
weight=float(input("Enter your weight in pounds or kg:"))
height=float(input("Enter your height in inches or m:"))
bmi_value=BMI(unit,weight,height)
BMI_index=BMI_table(bmi_value)

print(f"Your BMI is {bmi_value:.2f}")
print("You are {}".format(category[BMI_index]))

Early Returns

The return statement exits immediately with no more statements being executed. A function may contain multiple return statements, but only the first encountered will be executed. In conjunction with conditionals, the function can thus return early.

def sum_vals(x,y,z):
    """A stupid function."""
    if (x==0 and y==0 and z==0):
        return -1
    return x+y+z

In this example, an else clause is not required with the if because there is no subsequent use of the results. Also note that the conditional as it as written affects the types that will be valid within the function.