As a research project, form into groups of 2 or 3 students (or simply complete the exercise by yourself). Then, explore the Python Standard Library with Python's online API Documentation to practice finding information on built-in Python functions.
Complete these steps as part of your research project:
1. Click on the Library Reference link from the Python Documentation page.
2. Click on the "Built-in Functions" link to find the list of built-in functions that all Python programs can use.
3. Select at least 3 functions and click on the links to read about each function.
4. In your own words, describe what each function does. What are the input and output parameters?
Use help from your classmates or teacher if needed to understand the concepts or terms found in the online documentation. Be prepared to answer these questions in a class discussion, if asked by your teacher:
What is the purpose of one function you studied?
What are the inputs and outputs for that function?
Function 1: `len()`
Description: The `len()` function in Python is used to return the length (the number of items) of an object. It can be used to determine the number of elements in a list, tuple, string, dictionary, or any other iterable object.
Input parameters: The input parameter for `len()` is the object whose length we want to find.
Output: The function returns an integer representing the length of the object.
Function 2: `max()`
Description: The `max()` function in Python is used to find the largest item in a collection or the largest of two or more arguments. It takes in one or more arguments and returns the largest value.
Input parameters: The input parameters can be numbers, strings, or any iterable object.
Output: The function returns the largest item in the collection.
Function 3: `sorted()`
Description: The `sorted()` function in Python is used to sort the elements of a list, dictionary, or any other iterable object. It returns a new sorted list from the items in the original iterable.
Input parameters: The input parameter is the iterable object that we want to sort. Additionally, it can take some optional keyword arguments for customization.
Output: The function returns a new list containing the sorted elements of the input iterable.