4.G: Functions (Glossary)
- Page ID
- 3055
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- algorithm
- A general process for solving a category of problems.
- argument
- A value provided to a function when the function is called. This value is assigned to the corresponding parameter in the function.
- body
- The sequence of statements inside a function definition.
- composition
- Using an expression as part of a larger expression, or a statement as part of a larger statement.
- deterministic
- Pertaining to a program that does the same thing each time it runs, given the same inputs.
- dot notation
- The syntax for calling a function in another module by specifying the module name followed by a dot (period) and the function name.
- flow of execution
- The order in which statements are executed during a program run.
- fruitful function
- A function that returns a value.
- function
- A named sequence of statements that performs some useful operation. Functions may or may not take arguments and may or may not produce a result.
- function call
- A statement that executes a function. It consists of the function name followed by an argument list.
- function definition
- A statement that creates a new function, specifying its name, parameters, and the statements it executes.
- function object
- A value created by a function definition. The name of the function is a variable that refers to a function object.
- header
- The first line of a function definition.
- import statement
- A statement that reads a module file and creates a module object.
- module object
- A value created by an
import
statement that provides access to the data and code defined in a module. - parameter
- A name used inside a function to refer to the value passed as an argument.
- pseudorandom
- Pertaining to a sequence of numbers that appear to be random, but are generated by a deterministic program.
- return value
- The result of a function. If a function call is used as an expression, the return value is the value of the expression.
- void function
- A function that does not return a value.