Why do we use "args" and "kwargs" in Python function definitions?

Published on Aug. 22, 2023, 12:20 p.m.

We use “args” and “kwargs” in Python function definitions when we want to pass a variable number of arguments to a function.

The “*args” syntax allows us to pass an arbitrary number of positional arguments to a function, which get collected into a tuple. This is useful when we don’t know how many arguments the function will need to handle at runtime.

On the other hand, “**kwargs” allows us to pass an arbitrary number of keyword arguments, which get collected into a dictionary. This is useful when we need to handle named arguments that may change or be added to over time.

By using *args and “**kwargs” , we can make our functions more flexible and able to handle a wide range of inputs. This is a powerful tool for writing reusable and maintainable code in Python.

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