freeCodeCamp/guide/english/python/args-variable/index.md

title

title
Relationships between * and args

Presence of * in function definition

# How does *args work in a function definition

def hardFunc(arg1, arg2):
    # create a tuple and pollute it with arguments passed to hardFunc
    args=(arg1, arg2)
    # print out results
    print(args[0])
    print(args[1])

hardFunc('hard_one', 'hard_two')
# output — Try it yourself now and in sequential snippets!

def softFunc(*args):
    # at this point after calling softFunc a tuple with a name of a word
    # followed by * is created automatically (in this case the name is args)
    # print out results
    print(args[0])
    print(args[1])

softFunc('soft_one', 'soft_two')

# Now try to do something illegal
hardFunc('one', 'two', 'three')

# Now do things legally
softFunc('one', 'two', 'three')

# or even
softFunc('one', 'two', 'three', 'infinity')

# softFunc handles arbitrary amount of arguments easily by virtue of * syntax
# So using a single variable name in conjuction with * we gained the ability
# to invoke a function with arbitrary amount of arguments.

# Once again when softFunc is called the newly args
# tuple filled with provided arguments is created

# Conclusion softFunc is a more flexible/dynamic verson of a hardFunc