Python introduces the new function syntax in Python3.8.2 Version, Where we can introduce the / forward slash to compare the positional only parameter which comes before the / slash and parameters that comes after * is keyword only arguments. Rest of the arguments that are come between / and * can be either positional or keyword type of argument.
That means we can combine positional arguments and regular arguments in such a way all the non-positional argument comes after / slash.
Syntax:
def function(a, b, /, c, d, *, e, f):
# Function Body
pass
Where a and b are positional argument, c and d can be either positional or keyword or e and f are strictly keyword type argument.
In the image given below, we can see that power function is a builtin function in Python’s math library and this function uses / slash to enable the positional only argument and now we can implement the same functionality with the help of this version.
Example #1 :
In this example we can see that by using positional only argument we can implement the function with the fixed position as we can say only in built-in functions before this python version. With the help of this, we are able to make our program more robust.
# Positional-Only argument def function(a, b, /, c, d, *, e, f): print (a, b, c, d, e, f) function(1, 2, 3, d = 4, e = 5, f = 6) # It works fine function(1, 2, 3, d = 4, 5, f = 6) # Error occurred |
Output :
Example #2 :
# Positional-Only argument def function(a, b, /, **kwargs): print (a, b, kwargs) function(1, 2, a = 4, b = 5, c = 6) # It works fine function(a = 1, 2, a = 4, b = 5, c = 6) # Error occurred |
Output :
