Chapt 4 W

Function

A named block of code that performs a specific task.;

def

Keyword used to define a function.;

Function call

Tells Python to execute a function.;

Parameter

A variable in a function definition that receives a value.;

Argument

A value passed to a function when it is called.;

return

Sends a value from a function back to the code that called it.;

main()

Function used to organize the main flow of a program.;

if name == "main":

Checks whether the file is being run as the main program before calling main().;

Default value

A parameter value automatically used if an argument is not supplied.;

Named argument

Passes an argument by specifying the parameter's name.;

Positional argument

An argument matched to a parameter based on its position.;

Local variable

A variable defined inside a function and usable only within that function.;

Global variable

A variable defined outside functions that has global scope.;

Shadow variable

A local variable with the same name as a global variable; recommended to avoid.;

Module

A file containing Python code, such as functions, that can be imported.;

import

Makes another module available to the current program.;

Namespace

Space that stores the names and functions associated with a module.;

import module as name

Imports a module using a different namespace name.;

from module import function

Imports a specific function into the global namespace.;

Name collision

Occurs when imported items have the same name and interfere with one another.;

Hierarchy chart

Diagram showing how a program is divided into functions, beginning with main().;