Define a function that computes the length of a given list or string| Python for beginner

 Python is a popular programming language that is widely used by developers and data scientists. One of the fundamental concepts in Python is functions, which are self-contained blocks of code that perform a specific task. In this blog post, we will discuss how to define a function that computes the length of a given list or string using Python.

What is a Function?

A function is a block of code that performs a specific task. Functions are self-contained and can be called from anywhere in a program. Functions are an essential part of Python and are used extensively in programming.

Defining a Function in Python

In Python, functions are defined using the 'def' keyword, followed by the name of the function, and a set of parentheses. The body of the function is indented and contains the code that performs the task.

Here is an example of a function that computes the length of a given list:

def compute_length(list):

    length = 0

    for item in list:

        length += 1

    return length

In this function, the 'for' loop iterates over each item in the list and increments the 'length' variable. Finally, the function returns the length of the list.

Similarly, we can define a function that computes the length of a given string:

def compute_length(str):

    length = 0

    for char in str:

        length += 1

    return length

In this function, the 'for' loop iterates over each character in the string and increments the 'length' variable. Finally, the function returns the length of the string.

Using the Function

Once the function is defined, we can call it from anywhere in the program. Here is an example of how to use the 'compute_length' function:

my_list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

print("The length of the list is:", compute_length(my_list))

my_str = "Hello World"

print("The length of the string is:", compute_length(my_str))

In this example, we first define a list 'my_list' and a string 'my_str'. We then call the 'compute_length' function, passing the list and string as arguments. The function returns the length of the list and string, which we print to the console.

Conclusion

Functions are a fundamental concept in Python, and are essential for writing clean, organized, and reusable code. In this blog post, we discussed how to define a function that computes the length of a given list or string using Python. By using functions, we can write more efficient and maintainable code, making Python a powerful language for developers and data scientists alike. 

Complete code - 

def len(s):

    count=0

    for i in s:

        if i!= ' ':

            count+=1

    print("The total length of the string is : ", count)