Foundational Python for Data Science

6

Functions

In our lust for measurement, we frequently measure that which we can rather than that which we wish to measure…and forget that there is a difference.

George Udny Yule

In This Chapter

• Defining functions

• Docstrings

• Positional and keyword parameters

• Wildcard parameters

• Return statements

• Scope

• Decorators

• Anonymous functions

The last and perhaps most powerful compound statement that we discuss is the function. Functions give you a way to name a code block wrapped as an object. That code can then be invoked by use of that name, allowing the same code to be called multiple times and in multiple places.

Defining Functions

A function definition defines a function object, which wraps the executable block. The definition does not run the ...