The core value of functions lies in encapsulating repetitive computational logic into independent modules, achieving ...

The core of the Python data model architecture is special methods (also known as "magic methods"). These methods, which start ...

Libraries are collections of shared code. They're common in Python, where they're also called "modules," but they're also ...

In Python, you can define functions with optional arguments — that is, arguments that you don’t need to state explicitly afterwards — by providing a default value.

Take advantage of caching and the lru_cache decorator to relieve your Python functions from repetitive heavy lifting.

Often, Python functions ask for or return Python sequence objects, such as tuples or lists. These objects don't have directly corresponding types in C, but Python provides functions that allow you to ...

From simple timers and benchmarking modules to sophisticated stats-based frameworks, look to these tools for insight into the performance of your Python program.

This article is adapted from an edition of our Off the Charts newsletter originally published in October 2021. Off the Charts is a weekly, subscriber-only guide to The Economist’ s award-winning ...