Functions and Modular Programming in Python

In this lab, you will learn about functions and modular programming in Python. Functions allow you to encapsulate code for reuse, making your programs more organized and easier to manage. You can perform the exercises in any of the following environments:

• Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
• Google Colab
• Jupyter Notebook
• PyCharm
• Anaconda

Exercises

Exercise 1: Defining a Function

Task:

1. Define a function that takes two numbers as arguments and returns their sum.

Example Code:

# Define a function to add two numbers
def add_numbers(a, b):
    return a + b

# Test the function
result = add_numbers(5, 3)
print("Sum:", result)

Exercise 2: Function with Default Arguments

Task:

1. Define a function that greets a user. If no name is provided, it should default to “Guest.”

Example Code:

# Define a function to greet a user
def greet_user(name="Guest"):
    print(f"Hello, {name}!")

# Test the function
greet_user("Alice")
greet_user()

Exercise 3: Function with Variable Number of Arguments

Task:

1. Define a function that takes any number of numbers and returns their average.

Example Code:

# Define a function to calculate the average of multiple numbers
def calculate_average(*args):
    return sum(args) / len(args) if args else 0

# Test the function
avg = calculate_average(10, 20, 30, 40)
print("Average:", avg)

Exercise 4: Modular Programming

Task:

1. Create a module named math_operations.py that contains functions for addition and multiplication. Then, import this module in another script and use its functions.

Example Code for math_operations.py:

# math_operations.py

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

def multiply(a, b):
    return a * b

Example Code for Main Script:

# main.py

# Import the custom module
import math_operations as mo

# Use the functions from the module
sum_result = mo.add(5, 7)
product_result = mo.multiply(5, 3)

print("Sum:", sum_result)
print("Product:", product_result)

Exercise 5: Lambda Functions

Task:

1. Create a lambda function that squares a number and use it to square a list of numbers.

Example Code:

# Define a lambda function to square a number
square = lambda x: x ** 2

# Square a list of numbers
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
squared_numbers = list(map(square, numbers))

print("Squared Numbers:", squared_numbers)

Running the Code

1. Copy the Code: Copy the code examples provided above into your Python file.
2. Run the Program: Execute the program in your IDE. You can usually do this by clicking a “Run” button or using a keyboard shortcut (like Shift + F10 in PyCharm).
3. Interact with the Program: Follow the prompts in the console to input your data if applicable.

Conclusion

This lab helps you understand functions and modular programming in Python. By completing these exercises, you will gain practical experience in defining functions, using default arguments, handling variable arguments, creating modules, and using lambda functions. This knowledge is essential for writing clean, reusable, and organized code.