Functions in Python

Introduction

In programming, a named section of a program that performs a specific task. In this sense, a function is a type of procedure or routine. Some programming languages make a distinction between a function, which returns a value, and a procedure, which performs some operation but does not return a value.

Most programming languages come with a prewritten set of functions that are kept in a library. You can also write your own functions to perform specialized tasks.

Example of a function

#
# this is a simple function
#

def welcome(name):
    if name == "Alisher":
        likes_hamburgers ="yes"
    else:
        likes_hamburgers="no"
    return likes_hamburgers
    
print welcome("Bill")
print welcome("Alisher")    
print welcome("foo")