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What does the slash(/) in the parameter list of a function mean in Python?
A slash in the argument list of a function denotes that the parameters prior to it are positional-only. Let us first see a function in Python with a parameter −
Function in Python
Example
Here, we are creating a basic function in Python with a parameter myStr −
# Creating a Function def demo(myStr): print("Car =: ",myStr) # function call demo("BMW") demo("Tesla")
Output
Car =: BMW Car =: Tesla
Slash in the parameter list of a function
As said above, a slash in the argument list of a function denotes that the parameters prior to it are positional-only.
Upon calling a function that accepts positional-only parameters, arguments are mapped to parameters based solely on their position.
The divmode() function
The divmod() function is the perfect example of a slash in the list of a function i.e. it accepts positional-only parameters as shown below −
divmod(a, b, /)
Above, since the slash is at the end of the parameter list , both the parameters a and b are positional-only.
Let us print the documentation of divmod() using the help() functiojn in Python
# Creating a Function def demo(myStr): print(help(divmod)) # function call demo("BMW") demo("Tesla")
Output
Help on built-in function divmod in module builtins: divmod(x, y, /) Return the tuple (x//y, x%y). Invariant: div*y + mod == x. None
Now, let us see an example of the divmod(). Both the parameters are dividend and divisor −
k = divmod(5, 2) print(k)
Output
(2, 1)
The slash at the end of the parameter list means that both parameters are positional-only. Therefore, an error would arise, if we will call the divmod() with keyword arguments −
divmod(a = 5, b = 2)
Output
In the above example, an error occurred since the divmod() takes no keyword arguments.