“return” Keyword in Python: Returning Values from Functions

"return" Keyword in Python: Returning Values from Functions

Functions in Python are used to write reusable blocks of code that accept inputs and produce outputs. When a function is called, it executes the code contained within that function, performs some operations, and then returns a value to the calling code. In Python, we use the “return” keyword to specify what value or values are returned by the function.

In this article, we will explore how the “return” keyword works in Python and how we can use it to return values from functions. We will begin by discussing the basics of functions in Python, followed by the definition and use of the “return” keyword, and using examples of functions to illustrate its usage.

What are Functions in Python?

A function in Python is a block of code that runs when it is called. It can optionally accept input variables, called arguments or parameters, and it can optionally return a value. Functions make our code more modular, reusable, and easier to read, write, and maintain by splitting complex tasks into smaller parts.

The general syntax to define a function in Python is as follows:

def function_name(arg1, arg2, ...):
    # code block or statements that implement the function logic
    # more statements
    return return_values

Here, “def” is a keyword that is used to define a function, followed by the name of the function. The function name must be unique and should follow the standard naming conventions. The function may also take zero or more arguments as inputs which are enclosed in parentheses, separated by commas. The code block follows the arguments and may contain several statements.

Finally, the “return” statement is used to return a value from the function. We can return a single value or multiple values using “return” separated by commas.

The “return” keyword in Python

The “return” keyword is used to return a value or values from a function in Python. When a function is called, it performs some operations and then returns a value or values to the calling code using the “return” keyword. If a function does not have a “return” statement, it returns “None” as default.

The general syntax for using the “return” keyword in Python is as follows:

def function_name(arg1, arg2, ...):
    # code block or statements that implement the function logic
    # more statements
    return return_values

Here, “return_values” is the value or values that are returned by the function to the calling code. The returned values may be of any data type: string, integer, float, boolean, list, tuple, or dictionary.

Examples of using the “return” keyword in Python

Let’s explore some examples of how the “return” keyword works in Python and how it can be used to return values from functions:

Example 1: Returning a single value from a function

In this example, we will create a function called “add_numbers” that takes two arguments, “a” and “b” and returns their sum. We will then call this function with two arguments (5 and 10) and store the returned value in a variable called “result”.

def add_numbers(a, b):
    return a + b

result = add_numbers(5, 10)

print(result) # Output: 15

Example 2: Returning multiple values from a function

In this example, we will create a function called “multiply_and_divide” that takes two arguments, “a” and “b” and returns their product and quotient. We will then call this function with two arguments (10 and 2) and store the returned values in variables called “product” and “quotient”.

def multiply_and_divide(a, b):
    product = a * b
    quotient = a / b
    return product, quotient

product, quotient = multiply_and_divide(10, 2)

print(product) # Output: 20
print(quotient) # Output: 5.0

Example 3: Returning a dictionary from a function

In this example, we will create a function called “get_student_details” that takes two arguments, “name” and “age” and returns a dictionary containing the student’s name and age. We will then call this function with two arguments (“John” and 20) and store the returned dictionary in a variable called “student_details”.

def get_student_details(name, age):
    student = {'name': name, 'age': age}
    return student

student_details = get_student_details("John", 20)

print(student_details) # Output: {'name': 'John', 'age': 20}

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned about the “return” keyword in Python and how we can use it to return values from functions. We discussed the basics of functions in Python and how to define them. We also looked at several examples of using the “return” keyword to return different types of values from functions.

Using functions in our code not only makes it more modular and reusable but also easier to read and understand.

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