🔒 Confused about formal parameters

[placid trail]

In the python documentation, tutorial section(https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/controlflow.html#more-on-defining-functions), an example shows use of formal parameters. The function cheesecake is called without using keyword arguments but I want to know how to call the function using keyword arguments like -
cheesecake(kind = "Limburger", arguments = (tuple), keywords = {dictionary})

How should I do this?

[primal musk]

@placid trail

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[hearty hatch]

Oh, cheeseshop.

[placid trail]

yeah, sorry cheeseshop

[hearty hatch]

Their example has:

• one positional parameter named kind
• accepts any number of other positional parameters
• accepts any number of keyword parameters

So if you call cheeseshop("Jarlsberg", "a", 1, 2, x=3, y=4, j="fred") ....

Then the function receives:

• kind="Jarlsberg"
• arguments=("a", 1, 2)
• keywords={"x":3, "y":4, "j":"fred"}

[placid trail]

any way to mention these during function call, like -

cheeseshop(kind = "Jarlsberg", arguments = ("a", 1, 2), keywords = {"x": 3, "y": 4, "j": "fred"})

?

[hearty hatch]

No.

[hollow spear]

the * and ** indicate that they are special parameters and are not referred to by name

[hearty hatch]

The *args and **keywords mean "any positional parameters we have not named" and "any keyword parameters we have not named"

[hollow spear]

it simply means "allow this function to take an arbitrary amount of arguments"

[hearty hatch]

So you can't name aerguments and keywords at the calling end. You just supply position or keyword parameters.

[placid trail]

alright, understood. Thanks!👍

[hollow spear]

if you knew the name of the parameter, you wouldn't be using **

[hearty hatch]

It's handy for wrappers, where you support some arguments specially but want to pass everything else on to some other function.

[hollow spear]

do you have a scenario that you think you might want it?

[hollow spear]

great for inheritance too

[hearty hatch]

... or where you just accept any number of arguments, like the print() function does.

[placid trail]

Is this question for me?

[hollow spear]

yes

[placid trail]

Sorry, cannot think of any yet! If you have examples of such scenarios, please do tell.

[hollow spear]

I don't, which is why I was wondering why you'd want such a feature

[hearty hatch]

Well, you can't name them so there aren't any 🙂

[placid trail]

I see

[hearty hatch]

I think the OP just wanted clarity on what the docs were describing.

[placid trail]

Thanks for clarifying👍 🫰

!close

[primal musk]

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