Multiple Parameters and Return Values

Introduction to Functions in Python

Hugo Bowne-Anderson

Instructor

Multiple function parameters

Accept more than 1 parameter:

def raise_to_power(value1, value2):
    """Raise value1 to the power of value2."""
    new_value = value1 ** value2
    return new_value

Call function: # of arguments = # of parameters

result = raise_to_power(2, 3)

print(result)

A quick jump into tuples

Make functions return multiple values: Tuples!
Tuples:
- Like a list - can contain multiple values
- Immutable - can’t modify values!
- Constructed using parentheses ()

even_nums = (2, 4, 6)

print(type(even_nums))

<class 'tuple'>

Unpacking tuples

Unpack a tuple into several variables:

even_nums = (2, 4, 6)

a, b, c = even_nums

print(a)

print(b)

print(c)

Accessing tuple elements

Access tuple elements like you do with lists:

even_nums = (2, 4, 6)

print(even_nums[1])

second_num = even_nums[1]

print(second_num)

Uses zero-indexing

Returning multiple values

def raise_both(value1, value2):
    """Raise value1 to the power of value2
    and vice versa."""

    new_value1 = value1 ** value2
    new_value2 = value2 ** value1

    new_tuple = (new_value1, new_value2)

    return new_tuple

result = raise_both(2, 3)

print(result)

(8, 9)

Let's practice!

Introduction to Functions in Python