1 1 00:00:00,550 --> 00:00:01,960 Hi guys and welcome back. 2 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:03,800 In this video, we learn about 3 3 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,643 default parameter values in Python. 4 4 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:08,320 Let's get started. 5 5 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:10,050 We've got a function here called add 6 6 00:00:10,050 --> 00:00:11,430 and it takes two arguments. 7 7 00:00:11,430 --> 00:00:14,220 So it has two parameters, x and y. 8 8 00:00:14,220 --> 00:00:15,053 And then it's gonna print 9 9 00:00:15,053 --> 00:00:16,330 the result of adding them together. 10 10 00:00:16,330 --> 00:00:18,780 So normally, you would call this add function 11 11 00:00:18,780 --> 00:00:20,200 with two arguments. 12 12 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:22,020 So five comma eight. 13 13 00:00:22,020 --> 00:00:24,380 Gives them five and eight to x and y. 14 14 00:00:24,380 --> 00:00:27,010 However, you can have default values 15 15 00:00:27,010 --> 00:00:29,370 for one or two of these parameters 16 16 00:00:29,370 --> 00:00:31,420 by just saying in the function definition, 17 17 00:00:31,420 --> 00:00:32,763 y equals eight. 18 18 00:00:33,910 --> 00:00:36,780 Again, we usually don't put spaces around this equal sign 19 19 00:00:36,780 --> 00:00:39,130 when we use it for a default parameter value 20 20 00:00:39,130 --> 00:00:41,930 and what this is that x is a required parameter 21 21 00:00:41,930 --> 00:00:44,410 and y is now an optional parameter. 22 22 00:00:44,410 --> 00:00:47,520 If you don't give y a value when you call the function, 23 23 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,080 it will use the value eight, 24 24 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:50,800 which is defined here. 25 25 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,420 So, instead of doing add five comma eight, 26 26 00:00:53,420 --> 00:00:55,570 you can just do add five. 27 27 00:00:55,570 --> 00:00:57,620 And five will become the value for x, 28 28 00:00:57,620 --> 00:01:00,470 since that is the first parameter and the first argument, 29 29 00:01:00,470 --> 00:01:02,640 and because there is no second argument, 30 30 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,760 y will use its default value eight. 31 31 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:07,520 So if we run this code here, 32 32 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,260 you'll see that 13 comes out. 33 33 00:01:10,260 --> 00:01:12,870 Similarly, you can do, of course, 34 34 00:01:12,870 --> 00:01:15,030 x equal five, if you like, 35 35 00:01:15,030 --> 00:01:17,250 and still y doesn't have a value, 36 36 00:01:17,250 --> 00:01:19,900 so it will use the default value of eight. 37 37 00:01:19,900 --> 00:01:22,030 So this means exactly the same thing. 38 38 00:01:22,030 --> 00:01:26,190 What can't do though is do this, y equal five, 39 39 00:01:26,190 --> 00:01:28,700 because x is a required parameter, 40 40 00:01:28,700 --> 00:01:30,230 you need to give it a value, 41 41 00:01:30,230 --> 00:01:31,860 and here, we're not given it, 42 42 00:01:31,860 --> 00:01:33,550 so if we were to run this code, 43 43 00:01:33,550 --> 00:01:35,540 you would get the add is missing 44 44 00:01:35,540 --> 00:01:37,840 one required positional argument, x. 45 45 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:39,633 So you need to give x a value. 46 46 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,490 As usual, you can still do x equal five, y equal five, 47 47 00:01:44,490 --> 00:01:45,510 that's totally fine. 48 48 00:01:45,510 --> 00:01:48,660 And of course, you cannot do x equals five comma five, 49 49 00:01:48,660 --> 00:01:50,050 because as we learned earlier on, 50 50 00:01:50,050 --> 00:01:53,170 you can't put a positional argument after a keyword 51 51 00:01:53,170 --> 00:01:55,290 or named argument. 52 52 00:01:55,290 --> 00:01:57,490 Similarly, that also applies for 53 53 00:01:57,490 --> 00:01:59,160 the add function definition. 54 54 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,290 You cannot have a default parameter 55 55 00:02:02,290 --> 00:02:05,080 be followed by a non default parameter. 56 56 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:06,490 So here, it'll tell you 57 57 00:02:06,490 --> 00:02:09,310 that a default value must be specified here, 58 58 00:02:09,310 --> 00:02:12,310 in y, because you've specified one earlier on. 59 59 00:02:12,310 --> 00:02:15,690 So default parameter values must go at the end, 60 60 00:02:15,690 --> 00:02:19,943 after all the required non default parameters. 61 61 00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:24,310 Something to take into consideration 62 62 00:02:24,310 --> 00:02:25,980 when you are defining functions 63 63 00:02:25,980 --> 00:02:28,790 is to usually not do this. 64 64 00:02:28,790 --> 00:02:31,570 So here we've got a variable called default_y, 65 65 00:02:31,570 --> 00:02:32,970 and it's equal to three. 66 66 00:02:32,970 --> 00:02:34,610 And then we're defining an add function 67 67 00:02:34,610 --> 00:02:39,610 and making the y parameter equal to our default_y variable. 68 68 00:02:39,740 --> 00:02:42,220 So, y will equal three, 69 69 00:02:42,220 --> 00:02:45,280 and that will be the default value for the y parameter. 70 70 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:48,320 Now we can call add with the value two, let's say, 71 71 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,380 and then we do for x and three for y, 72 72 00:02:51,380 --> 00:02:53,520 giving us a total of five. 73 73 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:58,110 However, if we then go and change default y to four, 74 74 00:02:58,110 --> 00:03:02,170 and then we add again, let's say add two, 75 75 00:03:02,170 --> 00:03:04,960 now you'll see that actually, 76 76 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,640 we get the same value back from the function. 77 77 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:10,610 So changing a variable that has been used 78 78 00:03:10,610 --> 00:03:12,770 as a default parameter value, 79 79 00:03:12,770 --> 00:03:14,630 does not modify the function. 80 80 00:03:14,630 --> 00:03:17,770 So this value here, this three, 81 81 00:03:17,770 --> 00:03:20,550 is defined when the function gets created 82 82 00:03:20,550 --> 00:03:22,190 and it doesn't change after that, 83 83 00:03:22,190 --> 00:03:24,020 if you reassign the variable. 84 84 00:03:24,020 --> 00:03:26,470 So this is why I don't usually recommend doing this, 85 85 00:03:26,470 --> 00:03:29,200 because it can get really confusing really quickly. 86 86 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,650 So stick to putting the actual value on the function, 87 87 00:03:32,650 --> 00:03:34,990 unless you really have to do something different, 88 88 00:03:34,990 --> 00:03:36,850 and then make it clear that that value 89 89 00:03:36,850 --> 00:03:41,180 is not going to change after defining the function. 90 90 00:03:41,180 --> 00:03:42,490 So that is how you define 91 91 00:03:42,490 --> 00:03:44,940 default parameter values in Python. 92 92 00:03:44,940 --> 00:03:47,410 Just put them in the function definition, 93 93 00:03:47,410 --> 00:03:48,260 just make sure that they are 94 94 00:03:48,260 --> 00:03:50,700 at the end of the parameter lists. 95 95 00:03:50,700 --> 00:03:52,500 Thank you for joining me in this video 96 96 00:03:52,500 --> 00:03:54,150 and I'll see you in the next one.