10.9. Functions Calling Other Functions

Once we define a function, we can call it on its own, as part of a conditional, or from inside of a loop.

Example

def double_number(num):
   return num*2

integer = 8
my_function(integer)

if integer > 5:
   my_function(integer)

for number in range(10):
   my_function(number)

Even better, we can call one function from INSIDE another function.

To demonstrate, let’s consider a specific example.

10.9.1. Palindrome Checker

A palindrome refers to a word that is spelled the same backwards and forwards. Two examples are “mom” and “level”.

Let’s write a boolean function to check if a word is a palindrome.

We will call a palindrome a string that is identical to its reverse. This means we can test for palindromes by taking a string, reversing it, and then comparing the reversed string to the original. If the two are equal, we have a palindrome.

Since we want to compare a string to its reverse, we’ll need a function that flips a string.

10.9.1.1. The reverse_string Function

Let’s write a function that, given a string, returns its reverse.

One approach is to use the list method reverse() in combination with list() and join() (this was covered in the split and join section).

def reverse_string(a_string):
   letters_list = list(a_string)
   letters_list.reverse()
   return ''.join(letters_list)

Let’s break down the steps carried out by this function:

1. Turn the string into a list of characters. We call list(a_string), which returns a list of the individual characters that make up the string.

2. Reverse the list of characters. To do this, we use the built-in list method reverse().

3. Join the reversed character list into a string. We call ''.join(letters_list). Joining with the empty string combines all of the list elements together into a single string with no spaces in between.

10.9.1.2. The is_palindrome Function

Using our reverse_string function, we can now create our palindrome checker. Our approach will be to take the string argument, reverse it, and then compare the reversed string to the original.

Try It!

Does the is_palindrome function work? See for yourself by adding this code:

print(is_palindrome(string_value))

Here are a few strings to try:

1. 'dad' (True)

2. 'Mom' (False)

3. 'radar' (True)

4. 'taco cat' (False)

Try It!

Currently, the code does not count 'Mom' as a palindrome because 'Mom' is not the same string as 'moM'. Try making the is_palindrome function case-insensitive by using the .lower() string method.

Case-insensitive means that both mom and Mom return True for being palindromes.

10.9.2. Functions Should Do Exactly One Thing

When writing a function, we should pay attention to its size. Functions work best when they are small and do only one thing.

This idea is easier to say than to put into practice. For example, what if we wrote is_palindrome without putting the reverse_sting code in a separate function?

def is_palindrome(orig_string):
   letters_list = list(orig_string)
   letters_list.reverse()
   rev_string = ''.join(letters_list)

   return orig_string == rev_string

This function is still short, which is good. However, it does two separate jobs—it reverses a string and decides if that string is a palindrome.

Making a palindrome checker with one function vs. two might not seem like a big deal now. But what if we need to reverse a string for some other reason? We cannot use the combined is_palindrome function, since it only returns True or False. If we need to flip the order of a string, then we should write a function that just DOES THAT ONE JOB.

Consider the make_sandwich function from an earlier section. What if we wanted to expand our program to not only make a sandwich, but also to pour a drink. It would be a bad idea to write one function to do both (make_sandwich_and_pour_drink). What if a customer wants only one thing—a sandwich or a drink?

A much better solution would look like this:

def make_sandwich( parameters ):
   # make the sandwich

def pour_drink( parameters ):
   # pour the drink

def make_lunch( parameters ):
   make_sandwich( sand_arguments )
   pour_drink( drink_arguments )

Why is this better? First, smaller functions are easier to debug. Also, by assigning single jobs to separate functions, we make our code easier to read and more reusable.

Looking at the make_lunch function, it is very clear what is going on. It makes a sandwich first, and then it pours a drink.

If the make_lunch function held all of the code needed to do both tasks, there would be no clear separation between one job and the other.