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<H1><A NAME="SECTION009500000000000000000"></A><A NAME="function"></A>
<BR>
7.5 Function definitions
</H1>
<a id='l2h-606' xml:id='l2h-606'></a><a id='l2h-607' xml:id='l2h-607'></a>
<P>
A function definition defines a user-defined function object (see
section&nbsp;<A href="types.html#types">3.2</A>):
<a id='l2h-608' xml:id='l2h-608'></a><a id='l2h-609' xml:id='l2h-609'></a>
<P>
<dl><dd class="grammar">
<div class="productions">
<table>
<tr>
    <td><a id='tok-funcdef' xml:id='tok-funcdef'>funcdef</a></td>
    <td>::=</td>
    <td>[<a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-decorators">decorators</a>] "def" <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-funcname">funcname</a> "(" [<a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-parameter_list">parameter_list</a>] ")"
              ":" <a class='grammartoken' href="compound.html#tok-suite">suite</a></td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td><a id='tok-decorators' xml:id='tok-decorators'>decorators</a></td>
    <td>::=</td>
    <td><a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-decorator">decorator</a>+</td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td><a id='tok-decorator' xml:id='tok-decorator'>decorator</a></td>
    <td>::=</td>
    <td>"@" <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-dotted_name">dotted_name</a> ["(" [<a class='grammartoken' href="calls.html#tok-argument_list">argument_list</a> [","]] ")"] NEWLINE</td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td><a id='tok-dotted_name' xml:id='tok-dotted_name'>dotted_name</a></td>
    <td>::=</td>
    <td><a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a> ("." <a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a>)*</td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td><a id='tok-parameter_list' xml:id='tok-parameter_list'>parameter_list</a></td>
    <td>::=</td>
    <td>(<a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-defparameter">defparameter</a> ",")*</td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td></td>
    <td></td>
    <td><code>(&nbsp;&nbsp;"*" <a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a> [, "**" <a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a>]</code></td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td></td>
    <td></td>
    <td><code>&nbsp;| "**" <a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a></code></td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td></td>
    <td></td>
    <td><code>&nbsp;| <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-defparameter">defparameter</a> [","] )</code></td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td><a id='tok-defparameter' xml:id='tok-defparameter'>defparameter</a></td>
    <td>::=</td>
    <td><a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-parameter">parameter</a> ["=" <a class='grammartoken' href="Booleans.html#tok-expression">expression</a>]</td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td><a id='tok-sublist' xml:id='tok-sublist'>sublist</a></td>
    <td>::=</td>
    <td><a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-parameter">parameter</a> ("," <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-parameter">parameter</a>)* [","]</td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td><a id='tok-parameter' xml:id='tok-parameter'>parameter</a></td>
    <td>::=</td>
    <td><a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a> | "(" <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-sublist">sublist</a> ")"</td></tr>
  <tr>
    <td><a id='tok-funcname' xml:id='tok-funcname'>funcname</a></td>
    <td>::=</td>
    <td><a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a></td></tr>
</table>
</div>
<a class="grammar-footer"
  href="grammar.txt" type="text/plain"
  >Download entire grammar as text.</a>
</dd></dl>

<P>
A function definition is an executable statement.  Its execution binds
the function name in the current local namespace to a function object
(a wrapper around the executable code for the function).  This
function object contains a reference to the current global namespace
as the global namespace to be used when the function is called.
<a id='l2h-610' xml:id='l2h-610'></a><a id='l2h-611' xml:id='l2h-611'></a>
<P>
The function definition does not execute the function body; this gets
executed only when the function is called.

<P>
A function definition may be wrapped by one or more decorator expressions.
Decorator expressions are evaluated when the function is defined, in the scope
that contains the function definition.  The result must be a callable,
which is invoked with the function object as the only argument.
The returned value is bound to the function name instead of the function
object.  Multiple decorators are applied in nested fashion.
For example, the following code:

<P>
<div class="verbatim"><pre>
@f1(arg)
@f2
def func(): pass
</pre></div>

<P>
is equivalent to:

<P>
<div class="verbatim"><pre>
def func(): pass
func = f1(arg)(f2(func))
</pre></div>

<P>
When one or more top-level parameters have the form <var>parameter</var>
<code>=</code> <var>expression</var>, the function is said to have ``default
parameter values.''  For a parameter with a
default value, the corresponding argument may be omitted from a call,
in which case the parameter's default value is substituted.  If a
parameter has a default value, all following parameters must also have
a default value -- this is a syntactic restriction that is not
expressed by the grammar.
<a id='l2h-612' xml:id='l2h-612'></a>
<P>
<strong>Default parameter values are evaluated when the function
definition is executed.</strong>  This means that the expression is evaluated
once, when the function is defined, and that that same
``pre-computed'' value is used for each call.  This is especially
important to understand when a default parameter is a mutable object,
such as a list or a dictionary: if the function modifies the object
(e.g. by appending an item to a list), the default value is in effect
modified.  This is generally not what was intended.  A way around this 
is to use <code>None</code> as the default, and explicitly test for it in
the body of the function, e.g.:

<P>
<div class="verbatim"><pre>
def whats_on_the_telly(penguin=None):
    if penguin is None:
        penguin = []
    penguin.append("property of the zoo")
    return penguin
</pre></div>

<P>
Function call semantics are described in more detail in
section&nbsp;<A href="calls.html#calls">5.3.4</A>.
A function call always assigns values to all parameters mentioned in
the parameter list, either from position arguments, from keyword
arguments, or from default values.  If the form ``<code>*identifier</code>''
is present, it is initialized to a tuple receiving any excess
positional parameters, defaulting to the empty tuple.  If the form
``<code>**identifier</code>'' is present, it is initialized to a new
dictionary receiving any excess keyword arguments, defaulting to a
new empty dictionary.

<P>
It is also possible to create anonymous functions (functions not bound
to a name), for immediate use in expressions.  This uses lambda forms,
described in section&nbsp;<A href="lambdas.html#lambda">5.11</A>.  Note that the lambda form is
merely a shorthand for a simplified function definition; a function
defined in a ``<tt class="keyword">def</tt>'' statement can be passed around or
assigned to another name just like a function defined by a lambda
form.  The ``<tt class="keyword">def</tt>'' form is actually more powerful since it
allows the execution of multiple statements.
<a id='l2h-613' xml:id='l2h-613'></a>
<P>
<strong>Programmer's note:</strong> Functions are first-class objects.  A
``<code>def</code>'' form executed inside a function definition defines a
local function that can be returned or passed around.  Free variables
used in the nested function can access the local variables of the
function containing the def.  See section&nbsp;<A href="naming.html#naming">4.1</A> for details.

<P>

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<span class="release-info">Release 2.4.2, documentation updated on 28 September 2005.</span>
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	54
	55	<H1><A NAME="SECTION009500000000000000000"></A><A NAME="function"></A>
	56	<BR>
	57	7.5 Function definitions
	58	</H1>
	59	<a id='l2h-606' xml:id='l2h-606'></a><a id='l2h-607' xml:id='l2h-607'></a>
	60	<P>
	61	A function definition defines a user-defined function object (see
	62	section <A href="types.html#types">3.2</A>):
	63	<a id='l2h-608' xml:id='l2h-608'></a><a id='l2h-609' xml:id='l2h-609'></a>
	64	<P>
65	<dl><dd class="grammar">
66	<div class="productions">
67	<table>
68	<tr>
69	<td><a id='tok-funcdef' xml:id='tok-funcdef'>funcdef</a></td>
70	<td>::=</td>
71	<td>[<a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-decorators">decorators</a>] "def" <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-funcname">funcname</a> "(" [<a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-parameter_list">parameter_list</a>] ")"
72	":" <a class='grammartoken' href="compound.html#tok-suite">suite</a></td></tr>
73	<tr>
74	<td><a id='tok-decorators' xml:id='tok-decorators'>decorators</a></td>
75	<td>::=</td>
76	<td><a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-decorator">decorator</a>+</td></tr>
77	<tr>
78	<td><a id='tok-decorator' xml:id='tok-decorator'>decorator</a></td>
79	<td>::=</td>
80	<td>"@" <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-dotted_name">dotted_name</a> ["(" [<a class='grammartoken' href="calls.html#tok-argument_list">argument_list</a> [","]] ")"] NEWLINE</td></tr>
81	<tr>
82	<td><a id='tok-dotted_name' xml:id='tok-dotted_name'>dotted_name</a></td>
83	<td>::=</td>
84	<td><a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a> ("." <a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a>)*</td></tr>
85	<tr>
86	<td><a id='tok-parameter_list' xml:id='tok-parameter_list'>parameter_list</a></td>
87	<td>::=</td>
88	<td>(<a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-defparameter">defparameter</a> ",")*</td></tr>
89	<tr>
90	<td></td>
91	<td></td>
92	<td><code>(  "" <a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a> [, "*" <a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a>]</code></td></tr>
93	<tr>
94	<td></td>
95	<td></td>
96	<td><code> \| "**" <a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a></code></td></tr>
97	<tr>
98	<td></td>
99	<td></td>
100	<td><code> \| <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-defparameter">defparameter</a> [","] )</code></td></tr>
101	<tr>
102	<td><a id='tok-defparameter' xml:id='tok-defparameter'>defparameter</a></td>
103	<td>::=</td>
104	<td><a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-parameter">parameter</a> ["=" <a class='grammartoken' href="Booleans.html#tok-expression">expression</a>]</td></tr>
105	<tr>
106	<td><a id='tok-sublist' xml:id='tok-sublist'>sublist</a></td>
107	<td>::=</td>
108	<td><a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-parameter">parameter</a> ("," <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-parameter">parameter</a>)* [","]</td></tr>
109	<tr>
110	<td><a id='tok-parameter' xml:id='tok-parameter'>parameter</a></td>
111	<td>::=</td>
112	<td><a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a> \| "(" <a class='grammartoken' href="function.html#tok-sublist">sublist</a> ")"</td></tr>
113	<tr>
114	<td><a id='tok-funcname' xml:id='tok-funcname'>funcname</a></td>
115	<td>::=</td>
116	<td><a class='grammartoken' href="identifiers.html#tok-identifier">identifier</a></td></tr>
117	</table>
118	</div>
119	<a class="grammar-footer"
120	href="grammar.txt" type="text/plain"
121	>Download entire grammar as text.</a>
122	</dd></dl>
123
124	<P>
125	A function definition is an executable statement. Its execution binds
126	the function name in the current local namespace to a function object
127	(a wrapper around the executable code for the function). This
128	function object contains a reference to the current global namespace
129	as the global namespace to be used when the function is called.
130	<a id='l2h-610' xml:id='l2h-610'></a><a id='l2h-611' xml:id='l2h-611'></a>
131	<P>
132	The function definition does not execute the function body; this gets
133	executed only when the function is called.
134
135	<P>
136	A function definition may be wrapped by one or more decorator expressions.
137	Decorator expressions are evaluated when the function is defined, in the scope
138	that contains the function definition. The result must be a callable,
139	which is invoked with the function object as the only argument.
140	The returned value is bound to the function name instead of the function
141	object. Multiple decorators are applied in nested fashion.
142	For example, the following code:
143
144	<P>
145	<div class="verbatim"><pre>
146	@f1(arg)
147	@f2
148	def func(): pass
149	</pre></div>
150
151	<P>
152	is equivalent to:
153
154	<P>
155	<div class="verbatim"><pre>
156	def func(): pass
157	func = f1(arg)(f2(func))
158	</pre></div>
159
160	<P>
161	When one or more top-level parameters have the form <var>parameter</var>
162	<code>=</code> <var>expression</var>, the function is said to have ``default
163	parameter values.'' For a parameter with a
164	default value, the corresponding argument may be omitted from a call,
165	in which case the parameter's default value is substituted. If a
166	parameter has a default value, all following parameters must also have
167	a default value -- this is a syntactic restriction that is not
168	expressed by the grammar.
169	<a id='l2h-612' xml:id='l2h-612'></a>
170	<P>
171	<strong>Default parameter values are evaluated when the function
172	definition is executed.</strong> This means that the expression is evaluated
173	once, when the function is defined, and that that same
174	``pre-computed'' value is used for each call. This is especially
175	important to understand when a default parameter is a mutable object,
176	such as a list or a dictionary: if the function modifies the object
177	(e.g. by appending an item to a list), the default value is in effect
178	modified. This is generally not what was intended. A way around this
179	is to use <code>None</code> as the default, and explicitly test for it in
180	the body of the function, e.g.:
181
182	<P>
183	<div class="verbatim"><pre>
184	def whats_on_the_telly(penguin=None):
185	if penguin is None:
186	penguin = []
187	penguin.append("property of the zoo")
188	return penguin
189	</pre></div>
190
191	<P>
192	Function call semantics are described in more detail in
193	section <A href="calls.html#calls">5.3.4</A>.
194	A function call always assigns values to all parameters mentioned in
195	the parameter list, either from position arguments, from keyword
196	arguments, or from default values. If the form ``<code>*identifier</code>''
197	is present, it is initialized to a tuple receiving any excess
198	positional parameters, defaulting to the empty tuple. If the form
199	``<code>**identifier</code>'' is present, it is initialized to a new
200	dictionary receiving any excess keyword arguments, defaulting to a
201	new empty dictionary.
202
203	<P>
204	It is also possible to create anonymous functions (functions not bound
205	to a name), for immediate use in expressions. This uses lambda forms,
206	described in section <A href="lambdas.html#lambda">5.11</A>. Note that the lambda form is
207	merely a shorthand for a simplified function definition; a function
208	defined in a ``<tt class="keyword">def</tt>'' statement can be passed around or
209	assigned to another name just like a function defined by a lambda
210	form. The ``<tt class="keyword">def</tt>'' form is actually more powerful since it
211	allows the execution of multiple statements.
212	<a id='l2h-613' xml:id='l2h-613'></a>
213	<P>
214	<strong>Programmer's note:</strong> Functions are first-class objects. A
215	``<code>def</code>'' form executed inside a function definition defines a
216	local function that can be returned or passed around. Free variables
217	used in the nested function can access the local variables of the
218	function containing the def. See section <A href="naming.html#naming">4.1</A> for details.
219
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