What is the difference between default and optional parameters in programming?

What is the difference between default and optional parameters in programming?

Default parameters are values that are automatically assigned to function parameters if no argument is provided. Optional parameters, on the other hand, are parameters that can be omitted when calling a function, but they may not have a default value.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! For default parameters, in Python you might have: def greet(name='Guest'):. If you call greet(), it uses 'Guest'. For optional parameters, you might have: def add(a, b=None): where b can be omitted, but it doesn't have a default value.

Are default parameters always optional?

Yes, default parameters are always optional because they provide a default value if no argument is passed. However, optional parameters may not have a default value.

What happens if I don't provide a value for an optional parameter?

If an optional parameter doesn't have a default value and you don't provide one, it will typically result in an error when the function is called.