Question

What are the pieces of data that are passed into a module called?

Short answer

Answer: The pieces of data that are passed into a module are called "arguments" or "parameters". They serve as inputs that a function or method within the module requires to perform its specific task. When a function is called, the arguments are the actual values passed, while parameters are the placeholders in the function definition that accept those values.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the concept of a module

A module is a self-contained piece of code that performs a specific task or a group of tasks. Modules can be imported into other programs or scripts, allowing for code reuse and simplification of complex tasks. Examples of modules include math, random, or datetime libraries in Python, where each library provides functions and tools for specific tasks.

Define the term for pieces of data passed into a module

The pieces of data that are passed into a module are called "arguments" or "parameters". These are the inputs that a function or method within the module needs in order to perform its task. For example, when you call the `pow()` function from the math module in Python, you pass two arguments to it: the base and the exponent.

Provide examples of passing arguments to a module

Suppose we have a Python script using the math module: ```python import math base = 2 exponent = 3 result = math.pow(base, exponent) print(result) ``` In this example, we pass `base` and `exponent` as arguments to the `pow()` function within the math module. The `pow()` function takes these arguments, performs the calculation, and returns the result. So, in this case, the arguments are the pieces of data (values 2 and 3) passed into the module.

Distinguish between arguments and parameters

Although the terms "arguments" and "parameters" are often used interchangeably, they refer to slightly different concepts. Arguments are the actual values passed into a module or function when it is called, whereas parameters are the placeholders used in the function or method definition to accept those values. For instance, in our previous example, `base` and `exponent` are arguments, while the variables used in the definition of the `pow()` function (i.e., the placeholders for base and exponent values) are referred to as parameters.