How do you define a function in Python? How would you return a value from a function?
In Python, you can define a function using the `def` keyword followed by the function name and a pair of parentheses containing any parameters the function should accept. The function code block is defined using indentation.
Here's the syntax for defining a function:
```python
def function_name(parameters):
# function code block
# ...
```
For example, let's define a function called `add_numbers` that takes two parameters `a` and `b` and returns their sum:
```python
def add_numbers(a, b):
return a + b
```
To return a value from a function, you can use the `return` keyword followed by the value you want to return. The returned value can be of any data type in Python.
In the `add_numbers` function above, the sum of `a` and `b` is returned using `return a + b`.
You can call the function and store the returned value in a variable if needed:
```python
result = add_numbers(3, 4)
print(result) # Output: 7
```
In this example, the function is called with the arguments `3` and `4`, and the returned value `7` is stored in the `result` variable and then printed.