What are function arguments, and how are they used in Python?

Exploring Python function arguments: Types and examples

Function arguments in Python are values or variables passed to a function when it is called. They allow you to provide input data to the function, which can then be used within the function's code to perform specific tasks and calculations.

Python function arguments can be different:

• Positional Arguments: These are the most common arguments. As defined in the function's parameter list, they are passed to the function in the same order.
• Keyword Arguments: When calling a function, you specify the parameter name and its value. This allows you to provide arguments in any order and makes the function call more explicit and readable.
• Default Arguments: In the function definition, default arguments have predefined values. If an argument is not provided when calling the function, the default value will be used.

Example: Python function with different types of arguments:

Code:

def add_numbers(x, y=0):
    return x + y

# Positional Arguments
result1 = add_numbers(5)
print("Example: Positional Arguments")
print(result1)  # Output: 5 (5 + 0) 

# Keyword Arguments
result2 = add_numbers(y=4, x=8)
print("Example: Keyword Arguments")
print(result2)  # Output: 12 ( 4 + 8)

# Default Arguments
result3 = add_numbers(10)
print("Example: Default Arguments")
print(result3)  # Output: 10 (10 + 0)

Output:

Example: Positional Arguments
5
Example: Keyword Arguments
12
Example: Default Arguments
10

In the above example, we defined a function "add_numbers()" that takes two arguments, 'x' and 'y', with 'y' having a default value of 0. We demonstrated how to call the function using positional arguments, keyword arguments, and how the default argument works when not providing the 'y' argument.