Value Passing, Reference Passing, or Something Else: How Are Parameters Passed in Python?(Python Core in Action 15)
Understand how Python handles parameter passing, including value vs. reference passing, and learn techniques to avoid common coding errors.
Welcome to the "Python Core in Action" Series
In the first major section, we covered the basics of Python functions and their applications.
We learned that passing parameters means transferring certain values from one function to another, allowing it to perform specific tasks.
But have you ever wondered how parameter passing works under the hood? What are the underlying principles?
In practice, many people face this situation: after writing code, they run it and find the results don't match their expectations. Then, they start debugging step by step.
After spending a lot of time, they finally realized that the issue lies in changes to the data structure during parameter passing, which caused the error.
For example, if I pass a list as a parameter to another function, expecting it to remain unchanged after the function runs, but due to certain operations, its value changes, this could lead to a series of errors in subsequent code.
Therefore, understanding how parameter passing works in Python is crucial. It helps us avoid errors and improve efficiency in coding.
Today, let's learn how parameters are passed in Python.