Question

Which of the following statements is true for passing values to functions?

A. Python is strictly pass by reference.
B. Python is a simple scripting language and does not support functions.
C. Python is strictly pass by value.

Answer 1

The correct statement for passing values to functions in Python is C. Python is strictly pass by value.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement for passing values to functions in Python is C. Python is strictly pass by value.

When a value is passed to a function in Python, a copy of the value is created and passed to the function. This means that any changes made to the parameter within the function will not affect the original value passed.

For example, consider the following code:

def change_value(x):
x = 10

value = 5
change_value(value)
print(value) # Output: 5

In the example, the change_value function takes a parameter 'x' and sets it to 10. However, when the function is called with the 'value' variable as an argument, the original 'value' variable remains unchanged.

Answer 2

Python uses 'pass-by-object' or 'pass-by-object-reference' when passing values to functions, which means it passes the reference to the object and not just a value or a copy of the variable. The given choices in the statement are not true for Python.

Step-by-step explanation:

The true statement for passing values to functions in Python is none of the options given. Python's parameter passing mechanism behaves more like 'pass-by-object' or 'pass-by-object-reference'. This means that when a variable is passed to a function, Python passes the object reference, not the actual value or a copy of the object. However, if you change the value of the parameter within the function, this does not affect the variable that was passed - if the object passed is mutable, the functions can modify the object, but if it's immutable, the original object cannot be changed.