Writing Functions

2024-03-20

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Writing Functions

Why do we need functions?

• Re-usability

• Readability

• Maintainability

Writing functions

• Syntax

  • R: function_name <- function(params){ }

  • Python: def(params):

• parameter vs argument

  • passing in more than one arguments

    • follow the order of parameters
      (x_, y_) ->func(x, y)

    • specify by parameters
      func(x=x_, y = y_)

Writing functions

• Input validation

  • Handle exceptions

    • data type

    • invalid data

  • stopifnot() and try...except...

• Scope

  • Lexical scope: the area that is between the braces/ indented region

  • “Rewrite”

  • python visualizer
    See a simple function in action

Next Time

• version control

• Before next week: Sign up for Github Classroom

• Seminar of interest: Dr. Heike Hofmann will talk about the practical side of building data processing pipelines. Hardin 901, 11:30 - 12:20, with lunch afterwards.
  Earn 2 points of extra credit on a reading quiz.

Homework 6

• Download and save Homework6 raw content

  • Click the link

  • Copy the raw content

  • Save to a Quarto file under Source mode

  • Name the file as 06-Lastname-Firstname.qmd

  • Submit in .qmd file

Homework 6

• print() function doesn’t have a return value

• Pay attention to the data type