Explanation: In programming, an argument is a value that is passed to a function when it is called. The function can then use that information within its scope as it runs. Arguments are often used interchangeably with parameters, but they refer to the actual values provided to the function, while parameters are the variable names listed in the function’s definition that receive the argument values12.
For example, consider a function calculateSum that takes two arguments, a and b:
Python
def calculateSum(a, b):
return a + b
# Here, 5 and 3 are arguments provided in the function call.
result = calculateSum(5, 3)
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In this case, 5 and 3 are the arguments provided in the function call to calculateSum. They are not declared within the function (option B), not assigned to the function’s output (option C), nor are they inputs named in the definition of the function (option D). Instead, they are pieces of information provided during the function call, which aligns with option A.
References:
- iD Tech’s explanation of arguments in programming1.
- Programming Fundamentals’ discussion on parameters and arguments2.