EXTREME NOOBIE

[skeetor]

Thanks for the reply.  The level of my comprehension on a subject is
directly proportional to the different ways that subject is explained, lol.
I am very interested in the link below, thinks again.

"Alex Martelli" <alex at magenta.com> wrote in message
news:8og7l50qf2 at news1.newsguy.com...
> "skeetor" <skeetornospam at bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> news:q8Kq5.2021$pJ.32209 at news2.atl...
> > Whats this i hear about a function?  I just downloaded  this Python
thing,
> > and i am going through the online tutorials when I get to the "defining
of
> a
> > function..."  The tutorial is real basic until that part (thats where it
> > starts assuming you know how to program, Doh!)
> >
> > Just wondering  if some kind person can clearly and adequately explain
> this
> > defining of a function thing...
>
> We can try.
>
> Just like you can "give a name" to a certain value, by "binding" that
> name to that value (I'm going to assume you type in stuff at the
> interactive Python interpreter, and to show the prompts it will
> give you as you do so):

actually, i have learned to use "notepad"  in windows to first type in the
program.  But, I follow.

>
> >>> name = "Skeetor!"
> >>> print "Hello",name
> Hello Skeetor!
> >>>
>
> so you can "give a name" to a set of actions and/or computations, by
> "defining a function" with that name containing those
actions/computations:
>
> >>> def greet(name):
> ...     print "Hello",name
> ...
> >>>
>
> The keyword 'def' is what tells Python you're going to DEfine a Function;
> then, on the same name, follow a space, the name of the function you are
> defining, an open-parenthesis, zero or more "arguments" (separated by
> commas, if more than one) -- which we'll talk more about in a short
> while--, a closed-parenthesis, and a colon.
>
> When you enter this line, the Python interactive interpreter prompt
changes
> from the usual >>> to ... in order to remind you that you are entering a
> function's "body" -- the set of actions and/or computations you want that
> function to perform.
>
> Now, you must INDENT -- put some space (4 spaces are customary) at the
> start of each line that you want to be part of the function-body.  After
> that "indent", you will just type each line normally, as you would do
> at the interpreter prompt; note that you can use the "arguments" above
> listed "just as if" they were names bound to certain values.  This is
> because they ARE names and WILL be "bound to values" when you actually
> USE the function you're now defining.
>
> Further note that, when you're done typing that line (indent, then
> print, etc), and press Enter, the print statement is NOT immediately
> executed (as it would be if you typed it at the normal ">>>" prompt);
> rather, the "..." prompt appears again.  The statements you are giving
> as the body of your function are being 'saved on one side' by the
> Python interpreter for future use; not "executed as you go", but
> remembered for _later_ execution, as we'll see.
>
> When you're done with entering the body of your function, just press
> Enter, and the normal ">>>" prompt will appear again.
>
> Now, you have a function named "greet", that you can "CALL", with (in
> this case) exactly one argument; for example:
>
> >>> greet("Alex")
> Hello Alex
> >>>
>
> Note that, to call the function, you use its name, then an open
> parenthesis, then zero or more values (separated by commas, if
> more than one; the number of values you use here must be the same
> number as the function expects to receive -- in this case, one).
> [Then, at line end, of course an Enter, to terminate the line].
>
> The values you give in the call are bound (for the purposes of
> the function's body) to the names of the corresponding arguments;
> here, the value "Alex" is bound "inside the function" to the
> name 'name'.  Then, the statements in the function's body are
> executed.
>
>
> Now, this tells you how to define and call a function, but it does
> not tell you when or why you will want to do so.  Just like playing
> chess does not just require learning how you can move the pieces,
> but also the purposes you fulfill through those moves, so learning
> to program does not just require learning a language's rules (which
> in Python's case are not really all that many), but also the various
> purposes you fulfill through those rules.
>
> The Python tutorial that comes with the Python distribution 'teaches
> the moves', but does not dwell on the purposes -- assuming the reader
> can already do some programming, in whatever other language, and so,
> for example, has some idea of when and why it is appropriate and
> useful to define and use functions.
>
> There are several other tutorials on the net that address the
> NON-programmer, and teach him/her something about programming
> in general, as well as Python.  Try...:
>
> http://www.honors.montana.edu/~jjc/easytut/easytut/
> http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~mlh/python/programming.html
> http://members.xoom.com/alan_gauld/tutor/tutindex.htm
>
> just for starters; they're each pretty good first-intro's (the
> last one larger and more complete than the others), with pretty
> different tone and content, so you may find yourself more at
> home with one or the other.
>
>
> Happy learning!
>
>
> Alex
>
>
>