# A game of functions DONE check

A function is just an entity that takes care of processing input and turning it into some desired output.

Input > Function > Output


For example, we can think about a function add, that receives two numbers and returns the sum of it:

add(2, 3)  # 5


In our previous examples, we can see the input of the function being passed surrounded by parenthesis after the name of the function: add(2, 3). This is the standard way of invoking a function in Python.

There are already functions builtin into the python language that we use all the time. For example, you already know about print. print takes a given string and prints it out in the screen. What's the output of print? Well, in this case is nothing. We say it's "void", "empty" or just "nothing", and in Python, it's represented with None:

print("Hello World")  # None


We just don't care about the output of print.

Another popular function is len. It returns the length of a string. Try it out by yourself:

len("hello world") # 11
len("Python") # 6


In this case we see a "profound" change made by this function. It received a string and it returned an int!

## Defining your own functions (cheat sheet)

A function is defined in this way:

def add(x, y):
return x + y

1. def is a reserved keyword and MUST be used to start the definition of a function
2. add in this case is the name of the function. You can name them whatever you want. It's of course important to give good, meaningful names.
3. x, y are the parameters received for your function. You have to think carefully about the "input" of your function. What it receives.

Quick note here: Even if you don't realize it, you're surrounded by "functions" and you constantly think about them. For example, what do you need to "start your car"? You probably need the car keys. The input is the car key and the output is the car running. What do you need to make a payment with your card? The input taking your card close to the sensor and sometimes a "password", and the output is the result of the transaction.

1. The body. Below the def add(x, y): you can start defining the body of the function. You can put as many lines as you want, but they MUST be indented four spaces to the right.

2. The return statement. This is INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. It's the output of your function. It's that final think you want to produce as the result of it.

## Invoking functions

A function is "used" ("invoked", "called" are other verbs we use for the same action) in this way:

res = add(2, 3)
print(res)  # 5


1. For example, in res = add(2, 3), we're assigning the result of the function add(2, 3) to the variable res. The function add RETURNED something. That value returned is assigned to res.
2. You can skip the assignment and pass it directly to another function. That's what happens with print(add(7, 5)). The result of add(7, 5) is immediately passed to print. We're "chaining" functions.