Python Default Argument Values

The most useful form is to specify a default value for one or more arguments. This creates a function that can be called with fewer arguments than it is defined to allow. For example:

[1]
The default values are evaluated at the point of function definition in the defining scope, so that will print 5

>>> def f(arg=i): print arg >>> f() 5 >>> i=2 >>> f <function f at 0x01A7F3B0> >>> f() 5 >>> i=5 >>> i 5 >>> def f(arg=i): print 'i=', i >>> f() i= 5 >>> i=6 >>> f() i= 6 >>>

[2]
Important warning: The default value is evaluated only once. This makes a difference when the default is a mutable object such as a list, dictionary, or instances of most classes. For example, the following function accumulates the arguments passed to it on subsequent calls:

>>> def f(a, L=[]): L.append(a) return L >>> print f(1) [1] >>> print f(2) [1, 2] >>> print f(3) [1, 2, 3] >>> # modified as following >>> def f(a, L=None): if L is None: L=[] L.append(a) return L >>> f(1) [1] >>> f(2) [2] >>> f(3) [3] >>>

[3]
This function can be called either like this: ask_ok('Do you really want to quit?') or like this: ask_ok('OK to overwrite the file?', 2). This example also introduces the in keyword. This tests whether or not a sequence contains a certain value.

>>> def ask_ok(prompt, retries=4, complaint='Yes or no, please!'): while True: ok = raw_input(prompt) if ok in ('y', 'ye', 'yes'): return True if ok in ('n', 'no', 'nop', 'nope'): return False retries = retries-1 if retries<0: raise IOError, 'refusenik user' print complaint >>> ask_ok('Do you really want to quit?') Do you really want to quit?y True >>> ask_ok('Do you really want to quit?') Do you really want to quit?ye True >>> ask_ok('Do you really want to quit?') Do you really want to quit?yes True >>> ask_ok('Do you really want to quit?') Do you really want to quit?yes! Yes or no, please! Do you really want to quit?a Yes or no, please! Do you really want to quit?b Yes or no, please! Do you really want to quit?c Yes or no, please! Do you really want to quit?d Traceback (most recent call last): File "<pyshell#37>", line 1, in <module> ask_ok('Do you really want to quit?') File "<pyshell#32>", line 7, in ask_ok if retries<0: raise IOError, 'refusenik user' IOError: refusenik user >>> ask_ok('OK to overwrite the file?', 2) OK to overwrite the file?y True >>> ask_ok('OK to overwrite the file?', 2) OK to overwrite the file?n False >>> ask_ok('OK to overwrite the file?', 2) OK to overwrite the file?a Yes or no, please! OK to overwrite the file?b Yes or no, please! OK to overwrite the file?c Traceback (most recent call last): File "<pyshell#40>", line 1, in <module> ask_ok('OK to overwrite the file?', 2) File "<pyshell#32>", line 7, in ask_ok if retries<0: raise IOError, 'refusenik user' IOError: refusenik user >>>