Question

What is wrong with the following function definition:

def addEm(x, y, z):
-> return x + y + z
-> print('the answer is', x + y + z)

Answer 1

The provided function has invalid Python syntax due to the use of arrows, and the print statement won't be executed because it's after the return statement. The correct definition should not include arrows and should place print before return.

Step-by-step explanation:

The issue with the function definition provided lies in the incorrect use of the arrow symbols (->) which are not valid Python syntax for defining functions. Additionally, after the return statement is executed, the function will exit, and any code following it, such as the print statement, will not be executed within the function's context. The correct way to define a function that adds three numbers and prints the result in Python would be:

def addEm(x, y, z):
result = x + y + z
print('the answer is', result)
return result

This revised function first calculates the sum, assigns it to a variable called result, prints the message with the sum, and finally returns the result.