Procedures in Python
procedureA section of computer code that performs a specific task. can make codeInstructions in a computer program. shorter, simpler and easier to write.
Consider this excerpt from a PythonA high-level programming language. game programSequences of instructions for a computer. which prints player information on the screen:
print("Your score: " + str(score))
time.sleep(1)
print("High score: " + str(high_score))
time.sleep(1)
print("Lives remaining: " + str(lives))
time.sleep(1)
The program uses six lines of code to print out the player information.
Suppose you wanted to print out the player information at these different points in the game:
- at the end of a level
- when the player loses a life
- when the player beats the high score
- when the game is over
You would need to repeat those six lines of code on each occasion, giving a total of 24 lines of code simply to display the player information:
# End of level
print("Your score: " + str(score))
time.sleep(1)
print("High score: " + str(high_score))
time.sleep(1)
print("Lives remaining: " + str(lives))
time.sleep(1)
# Lose a life
print("Your score: " + str(score))
time.sleep(1)
print("High score: " + str(high_score))
time.sleep(1)
print("Lives remaining: " + str(lives))
time.sleep(1)
# New high score
print("Your score: " + str(score))
time.sleep(1)
print("High score: " + str(high_score))
time.sleep(1)
print("Lives remaining: " + str(lives))
time.sleep(1)
# Game over
print("Your score: " + str(score))
time.sleep(1)
print("High score: " + str(high_score))
time.sleep(1)
print("Lives remaining: " + str(lives))
time.sleep(1)
This is repetitive and a waste of time. It would be better to write a procedure and simply run that procedure whenever it is needed.