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Calling Functions: Buggy Code in Python - Time Complexity: O(1)


Inside the code editor we've tried to define and call a function that would print the messages Hey coder! then Welcome back! to the console.

So when we ran the code, we expected it to print:

Hey coder!
Welcome back!

but it seems like we made some mistakes because when we run our code we get a NameError instead.


Assignment:

Your task is to fix our code such that no errors will be produced and it will print the desired output.

Understanding the Problem

The core challenge here is to correctly define and call a function in Python. This is a fundamental skill in programming, as functions help in organizing code, making it reusable, and improving readability. A common pitfall is not properly defining the function or making a typo when calling it, which can lead to errors like NameError.

Approach

To solve this problem, we need to ensure that the function is correctly defined and then called without any typos. Here’s a step-by-step approach:

  1. Define the function using the def keyword.
  2. Ensure the function name is correctly spelled when calling it.
  3. Print the desired messages within the function.
  4. Call the function to execute it.

Algorithm

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the algorithm:

  1. Define a function named greet.
  2. Inside the function, use the print statement to print Hey coder!.
  3. On the next line, use the print statement to print Welcome back!.
  4. Outside the function, call the greet function to execute the code inside it.

Code Implementation

# Define the function
def greet():
    # Print the first message
    print("Hey coder!")
    # Print the second message
    print("Welcome back!")

# Call the function to execute it
greet()

Complexity Analysis

The time complexity of this solution is O(1) because the function performs a constant number of operations regardless of the input size. The space complexity is also O(1) as it does not use any additional space that scales with input size.

Edge Cases

There are no significant edge cases for this problem since it involves simple function definition and calling. However, ensure that:

  • The function name is unique and does not conflict with any existing function names.
  • The function is called after it is defined.

Testing

To test the solution, simply run the code and check the console output. It should match the expected output:

Hey coder!
Welcome back!

Additionally, you can test by modifying the messages or adding more print statements to ensure the function works as expected.

Thinking and Problem-Solving Tips

When approaching such problems, keep the following tips in mind:

  • Always start by understanding the problem requirements and expected output.
  • Break down the problem into smaller steps and tackle each step one at a time.
  • Write clean and readable code with comments to explain each part.
  • Test your code with different inputs to ensure it handles all scenarios.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we discussed how to fix a simple function definition and calling problem in Python. We covered the problem definition, approach, algorithm, code implementation, complexity analysis, edge cases, and testing. Understanding and solving such problems is crucial for developing strong programming skills. Keep practicing and exploring more problems to improve your coding abilities.

Additional Resources

For further reading and practice, check out the following resources: