The correct way to create a function in Python is as follows:
- Use the
def
keyword to start the function definition. - Follow
def
with the function name, which should be a valid Python identifier. - Add parentheses
()
after the function name. Inside the parentheses, you can optionally include parameters separated by commas. - End the function header with a colon
:
. - Indent the next lines to form the function body, which contains the code the function will execute.
- Optionally, use the
return
statement inside the function body to send back a result.
Basic Syntax
python
def function_name(parameters):
# function body
# code to execute
return some_value # optional
Example of a simple function without parameters
python
def greet():
print("Hello from a function")
You call it by writing:
python
greet()
Example of a function with parameters and return value
python
def add_numbers(a, b):
return a + b
result = add_numbers(3, 5)
print(result) # Output: 8
Key points
- The function body must be indented (usually 4 spaces).
- Parentheses are required even if the function takes no parameters.
- The
return
statement is optional; if omitted, the function returnsNone
. - You can pass arguments to functions to make them more flexible.
This structure makes your code modular and reusable