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You're reading from  Learn Python by Building Data Science Applications

Product typeBook
Published inAug 2019
Reading LevelIntermediate
PublisherPackt
ISBN-139781789535365
Edition1st Edition
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Authors (2):
Philipp Kats
Philipp Kats
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Philipp Kats

Philipp Kats is a researcher at the Urban Complexity Lab, NYU CUSP, a research fellow at Kazan Federal University, and a data scientist at StreetEasy, with many years of experience in software development. His interests include data analysis, urban studies, data journalism, and visualization. Having a bachelor's degree in architectural design and a having followed the rocky path (at first) of being a self-taught developer, Philipp knows the pain points of learning programming and is eager to share his experience.
Read more about Philipp Kats

David Katz
David Katz
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David Katz

David Katz is a researcher and holds a Ph.D. in mathematics. As a mathematician at heart, he sees code as a tool to express his questions. David believes that code literacy is essential as it applies to most disciplines and professions. David is passionate about sharing his knowledge and has 6 years of experience teaching college and high school students.
Read more about David Katz

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Chapter 3

What are functions, and when should we use them?

In programming, a function is the named section of the code that encapsulates a specific task and can be used relatively independently from the surrounding code.

How can data be provided to functions?

Conceptually, code in a function can access data from outside. The best way to pass the data, however, is via arguments—special temporary variables used exactly for that.

What does indentation mean? Is it required?

Yes; in Python, indentation is required and defines the grouping of code.

What should be covered in the docstring function? How can I read the docstring function?

Ideally, every module, function, and class should have a docstring. In all those cases, a docstring can be shown using the help function, or accessed programmatically via the __doc__ attribute.

When could it be useful to use type annotations...

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Learn Python by Building Data Science Applications
Published in: Aug 2019Publisher: PacktISBN-13: 9781789535365

Authors (2)

author image
Philipp Kats

Philipp Kats is a researcher at the Urban Complexity Lab, NYU CUSP, a research fellow at Kazan Federal University, and a data scientist at StreetEasy, with many years of experience in software development. His interests include data analysis, urban studies, data journalism, and visualization. Having a bachelor's degree in architectural design and a having followed the rocky path (at first) of being a self-taught developer, Philipp knows the pain points of learning programming and is eager to share his experience.
Read more about Philipp Kats

author image
David Katz

David Katz is a researcher and holds a Ph.D. in mathematics. As a mathematician at heart, he sees code as a tool to express his questions. David believes that code literacy is essential as it applies to most disciplines and professions. David is passionate about sharing his knowledge and has 6 years of experience teaching college and high school students.
Read more about David Katz