Chapter 3: Problem 3

How do functions help you reuse code in a program?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: Functions help in reusing code within a program by allowing you to create modular code that can be called multiple times without having to rewrite the code for each instance. This makes your programs more organized, efficient, and easier to maintain. Functions consist of a header and a body, and can take input parameters and return values. By calling the same function with different input values, you can achieve different outputs without duplicating code, making your program more efficient and easier to modify if needed.

Step by step solution

Define Functions

A function is a named sequence of statements that performs a specific task. Functions allow you to create modular code, which can be called multiple times without having to rewrite the code for each instance. This makes your programs more organized, efficient, and easier to maintain.

Discuss Structure of Functions

A function has a specific structure, which consists of a header and a body. The header specifies the function's name and optional input parameters (also called arguments) passed to the function. The body contains the statements to be executed when the function is called. The function may also return a value back to the calling point.

Provide an Example of a Function

Here's an example of a simple Python function that calculates the square of a given number: ```python def square(number): return number * number ``` In this example, the function is named 'square', and it takes a single input parameter 'number'. The body of the function contains a single statement that calculates the square of the input number and returns the result.

Explain Function Calls and Code Reuse

Functions help in reusing code by allowing you to call the same code with different input values, resulting in different outputs. For instance, our 'square' function can be called multiple times with different input numbers, like so: ```python result1 = square(2) # result1 will be 4 result2 = square(5) # result2 will be 25 result3 = square(10) # result3 will be 100 ``` By using the 'square' function, we've managed to reuse the code for calculating the square of a number multiple times, without having to rewrite the code each time. This approach is more efficient, less error-prone, and makes it easier to modify your code if needed.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Recommended explanations on Computer Science Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

How do functions help you reuse code in a program?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Define Functions

Discuss Structure of Functions

Provide an Example of a Function

Explain Function Calls and Code Reuse

One App. One Place for Learning.

Most popular questions from this chapter

Recommended explanations on Computer Science Textbooks

Problem Solving Techniques

Computer Programming

Issues in Computer Science

Databases

Computer Organisation and Architecture

Algorithms in Computer Science

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.