Reference library

Functions & basics

Reusable building blocks — parameters, returns, scope, and clear function design.

3 matches
Functions & basics easy

Call a Function Dynamically by Name in Python

Use globals() to look up and call a function by its name as a string, with optional arguments.

globals dynamic-dispatch reflection
Python
def greet():
    return "Hello from greet!"

def add(a, b):
    return a + b

def multiply(a, b):
    return a * b

if __name__ == "__main__":
    func_name = "add"
    args = (3, 5)
    
    # Call function dynamically by name from globals
    result = globals()[func_name](*args)
    print(f"{func_name}({', '.join(ma…
13 0 Open
Functions & basics easy

How to Use a Dispatch Table in Python (Map Strings to Functions)

Maps string command names to callable functions in a dictionary, then dispatches calls safely with error handling.

dispatch-table dictionary functions
Python
def add(a, b):
    return a + b


def subtract(a, b):
    return a - b


def multiply(a, b):
    return a * b


def divide(a, b):
    if b == 0:
        raise ValueError("Division by zero")
    return a / b


dispatch = {
    "add": add,
    "subtract": subtract,
    "multiply": multiply,
    "divide": divide,
}


def…
13 0 Open
Functions & basics easy

How to Use singledispatch for Type-Based Overloading in Python

This code demonstrates Python's functools.singledispatch decorator to create functions that behave differently based on the type of their first argument.

singledispatch overloading functools
Python
from functools import singledispatch

@singledispatch
def process(value):
    return f"Unknown type: {type(value).__name__}"

@process.register(int)
def _(value):
    return f"Integer: {value * 2}"

@process.register(str)
def _(value):
    return f"String: {value.upper()}"

@process.register(list)
def _(value):
    re…
12 0 Open

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Functions & basics — Python code examples

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This page collects functions & basics snippets — short, copy-ready Python you can paste into our free online IDE and run without installing anything. Each sample includes a plain-English explanation and the full source code.

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Samples are quick reference — one concept per page. For step-by-step teaching, use our Python tutorials. To test yourself, try quizzes or coding challenges. Clean up style with the Python formatter.