Keyword arguments in Python - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Keyword arguments

Define function with parameters

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Call function with keyword arguments

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Match arguments to parameters by name

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Execute function body using matched values

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Return result

Keyword arguments let you call a function by naming each argument, so the order does not matter. The function matches values to parameters by their names.

Execution Sample

Python

def greet(name, age):
    print(f"Hello {name}, you are {age} years old.")

greet(age=30, name="Alice")

This code defines a function with two parameters and calls it using keyword arguments in a different order.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Parameter	Value	Output
1	Function greet defined	-	-	-
2	Call greet with age=30, name='Alice'	-	-	-
3	Match argument 'age' to parameter 'age'	age	30	-
4	Match argument 'name' to parameter 'name'	name	"Alice"	-
5	Execute print statement	-	-	Hello Alice, you are 30 years old.
6	Function greet ends	-	-	-

💡 Function completes after printing the greeting message.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Call
name	-	"Alice"
age	-	30

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why can we pass arguments in any order when using keyword arguments?

Because keyword arguments match values to parameters by their names, not by position, as shown in execution_table rows 3 and 4.

What happens if we omit a required parameter when using keyword arguments?

Python will raise an error because the function expects all required parameters to be provided, even if using keywords.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at step 3, what value is assigned to parameter 'age'?

A None

B 30

C "Alice"

D Error

💡 Hint

Check the 'Value' column at step 3 in the execution_table.

At which step does the function print the greeting message?

A Step 5

B Step 4

C Step 2

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Look for the step with output in the execution_table.

If we call greet(name="Bob") without age, what will happen?

A Function prints greeting with age as 0

B Function prints greeting with age as None

C Python raises an error for missing argument

D Function uses default age value

💡 Hint

Recall key_moments about missing required parameters.

Concept Snapshot

Keyword arguments let you call functions by naming parameters.
Order does not matter because matching is by name.
Syntax: func(param1=value1, param2=value2)
All required parameters must be provided.
Useful for clarity and flexibility.

Full Transcript

Keyword arguments in Python allow you to call a function by specifying the names of the parameters along with their values. This means you can pass arguments in any order, and the function will match them correctly by name. For example, calling greet(age=30, name="Alice") assigns 30 to age and "Alice" to name, even though the order is reversed. The function then uses these values inside its body. If you forget to provide a required parameter, Python will raise an error. This feature helps make function calls clearer and more flexible.