How do I use optional parameters in Python?

How do I use optional parameters in Python?

In Python, you can define optional parameters by assigning default values in your function definition. For example:

def greet(name, greeting='Hello'):
    return f'{greeting}, {name}!'

Here, greeting is an optional parameter with a default value of 'Hello'. If you call greet('Alice'), it will return 'Hello, Alice!'. If you call greet('Alice', 'Hi'), it will return 'Hi, Alice!'.

Can I have multiple optional parameters?

Yes, you can have multiple optional parameters. Just assign default values to each one. For example:

def introduce(name, age=None, city='Unknown'):
    return f'Name: {name}, Age: {age}, City: {city}'

In this case, age is optional and defaults to None, while city defaults to 'Unknown'.

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

If you don't provide a value for an optional parameter, Python will use the default value specified in the function definition. For instance, using the introduce function without providing age will result in 'Age: None'.

Can I override the default value when calling the function?

Absolutely! You can override the default value by providing a value when you call the function. For example, introduce('Alice', 30) will return 'Name: Alice, Age: 30, City: Unknown'.