What does the keyword 'return' do in a function?

What does the keyword 'return' do in a function?

• A. It exits the function and sends a value back to the caller
• B. It loops back to the start of the function
• C. It defines the function's parameters
• D. It signals the end of the program

Answer: (A)

The keyword 'return' is used in a function to exit the function and send a value back to the caller. When a function is invoked, it may perform operations and calculations, and at a certain point, it can use the 'return' statement to specify what value should be sent back to the location in the code where the function was called. This capability allows the function to produce output or results based on its processing and is critical for using functions to encapsulate logic and to facilitate code reuse. When a 'return' statement is executed, control is transferred back to the point where the function was called, and any value specified after 'return' becomes the result of the function call. If the function does not return a specific value, it will return `None` by default. This mechanism is a fundamental aspect of how functions interact and return results in Python, enabling more structured and modular programming.

The keyword 'return' is used in a function to exit the function and send a value back to the caller. When a function is invoked, it may perform operations and calculations, and at a certain point, it can use the 'return' statement to specify what value should be sent back to the location in the code where the function was called. This capability allows the function to produce output or results based on its processing and is critical for using functions to encapsulate logic and to facilitate code reuse.

When a 'return' statement is executed, control is transferred back to the point where the function was called, and any value specified after 'return' becomes the result of the function call. If the function does not return a specific value, it will return None by default. This mechanism is a fundamental aspect of how functions interact and return results in Python, enabling more structured and modular programming.