[Edu-sig] Calling functions...

[David MacQuigg]

Hey Kirby!!  This is the best explanation I've seen of Python's argument 
passing subtleties.  If you don't mind I would like to post it on our 
PyKata website in a section "Tips from the Masters", with you as author, 
of course.  We could also put a link to a page on your website, if you 
prefer.

-- Dave

************************************************************     *
* David MacQuigg, PhD    email: macquigg at ece.arizona.edu   *  *
* Research Associate                phone: USA 520-721-4583   *  *  *
* ECE Department, University of Arizona                       *  *  *
*                                 9320 East Mikelyn Lane       * * *
* http://purl.net/macquigg        Tucson, Arizona 85710          *
************************************************************     *



kirby urner wrote:
> ...
>
> Even functions with purely positional
> parameters may be passed a dict, in
> which case the positional parameters
> will be treated like named ones, i.e.
> the dict will map to them.
>
> I'll use the new formating protocol:
>
>   
>>>> from __future__ import print_function
>>>>         
>
>   
>>>> def f(a, b, c):
>>>>         
> 	print("a={0}, b={1}, c={2}".format(a,b,c))
>
> 	
>   
>>>> f(1,2,3)
>>>>         
> a=1, b=2, c=3
>
> Here's what I'm illustrating:
>
>   
>>>> thedict = dict(c=5,a=10,b='cat')
>>>>         
>
>   
>>>> f(**thedict)
>>>>         
> a=10, b=cat, c=5
>
> Now what if we try to sneak in an argument
> that doesn't map:
>
>   
>>>> thedict = dict(c=5,a=10,b='cat', d='dog')
>>>> f(**thedict)
>>>>         
>
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "<pyshell#11>", line 1, in <module>
>     f(**thedict)
> TypeError: f() got an unexpected keyword argument 'd'
>
> The d is caught, an exception is raised.
>
> So here we might add the all purpose "pooper scooper"
> (yeah, scatological -- sometimes effective pedagogy):
>
>   
>>>> def f(a, b, c, **kwargs):
>>>>         
> 	print("a={0}, b={1}, c={2}".format(a,b,c))
>
> The d now gets through, though nothing echoes:
> 	
>   
>>>> f(**thedict)
>>>>         
> a=10, b=cat, c=5
>
> Lets make sure we see what's in "overflow":
>
>   
>>>> def f(a, b, c, **kwargs):
>>>>         
> 	print("a={0}, b={1}, c={2}".format(a,b,c))
> 	print(kwargs)
>
> 	
>   
>>>> f(**thedict)
>>>>         
> a=10, b=cat, c=5
> {'d': 'dog'}
>
> Is an all purpose pooper scooper allowed to have
> defaults?  No, default arguments are what turn
> parameters into named parameters.  *args and
> **kwargs (often so named by convention) are
> not named parameters so much as "collectors"
> of "overflow" arguments (made-up terminology).
>
>   
>>>> def f(a, b, c, d='dog', *e):
>>>>         
> 	print("a={0}, b={1}, c={2} d={3} e={4}".format(a,b,c,d,e))
>
> 	
>   
>>>> f(**thedict)
>>>>         
> a=10, b=cat, c=5 d=dog e=()
>   
>
> Speaking of made-up terminology, when I pass
> **thedict as an argument, I tend to think of the
> ** as "explode".
>
> If you don't double-star it, it goes through as just
> the one argument and an exception gets raised:
>
>   
>>>> f(thedict)
>>>>         
>
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "<pyshell#31>", line 1, in <module>
>     f(thedict)
> TypeError: f() takes at least 3 arguments (1 given)
>
> The same "explode" operator works for tuples in
> that it "unpacks" the one argument into len(tuple)
> arguments.  The typical use is to make (x,y,z)-tuples
> map to some function that expects x, y and z as
> separate arguments.
>
> The error messages remind us when we fail to
> "explode" one argument into many:
>
>   
>>>> def f(x, y, z):
>>>>         
> 	return x**2 + y**2 + z**2
>
>   
>>>> f(1,2,3)
>>>>         
> 14
>   
>>>> coords = (1,2,3)
>>>> f(coords)
>>>>         
>
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "<pyshell#38>", line 1, in <module>
>     f(coords)
> TypeError: f() takes exactly 3 arguments (1 given)
>   
>>>> f(*coords)
>>>>         
> 14
>   
>>>> f(dict(y=2,x=1,z=3))
>>>>         
>
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "<pyshell#40>", line 1, in <module>
>     f(dict(y=2,x=1,z=3))
> TypeError: f() takes exactly 3 arguments (1 given)
>   
>>>> f(**dict(y=2,x=1,z=3))
>>>>         
> 14
>
> Kirby
> _______________________________________________
> Edu-sig mailing list
> Edu-sig at python.org
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
>
>