In Python, a function is a block of code that performs a specific task when called. When calling a function, you may need to pass some input values to the function, and these values are called arguments.
Function parameters, on the other hand, are the variables declared in the function definition that are used to receive and handle the incoming arguments. They define the number and type of arguments that the function can accept.
For example, consider the following function definition:
def greet(name):
print("Hello, " + name + ". How are you?")
In this example, name
is a parameter of the greet
function, which expects to receive an argument when called. When you call the greet
function, you would pass an argument as follows:
greet("John")
Here, "John"
is the argument passed to the greet
function. The name
parameter in the greet
function will now receive the value "John"
, and the output will be:
Hello, John. How are you?
In summary, arguments are the values passed to a function when it is called, while parameters are the variables defined in the function definition to receive and handle the incoming arguments.