Evaluating Code and Documentation Quick Check 5 of 55 of 5 Items Question Evaluate the code below, and suggest ways to improve it. def find_sum(num1, num_2): ''' Finds and returns sum of two numbers ''' return num1 + num_2 (1 point) Responses There should be an additional variable defined at the beginning to store the sum, and this value is returned at the end. There should be an additional variable defined at the beginning to store the sum, and this value is returned at the end. The method has a docstring that is not descriptive enough. The docstring should mention the variables and their descriptions to improve the code. The method has a docstring that is not descriptive enough. The docstring should mention the variables and their descriptions to improve the code. The name of this method should be something else. The name of this method should be something else. Instead of returning the sum, the program should just print it onscreen. Instead of returning the sum, the program should just print it onscreen. Skip to navigation page 13 of 13

Question

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The provided code can definitely be improved in several ways. Below are the suggestions based on the provided responses and some additional considerations:

Docstring Improvement: The current docstring is quite minimal. A good practice for documentation is to include information about the parameters, their types, and what the function returns. Here’s an improved version:

def find_sum(num1, num_2):
    ''' 
    Finds and returns the sum of two numbers.

    Parameters:
    num1 (int or float): The first number to be added.
    num_2 (int or float): The second number to be added.

    Returns:
    int or float: The sum of num1 and num_2.
    '''
    return num1 + num_2

Variable Naming: The parameter num_2 uses an underscore which can be less common in Python. It would be more Pythonic to use num2. This change enhances readability:
```
def find_sum(num1, num2):
```
Type Hinting: Adding type hints can improve code clarity, making it evident what types are expected for the parameters and what type is returned:
```
def find_sum(num1: float, num2: float) -> float:
```
Return Value vs. Print: The suggestion to print instead of return is generally not favorable in most programming contexts, especially when writing reusable functions. Returning the value allows for greater flexibility, such as using the result in further calculations or tests. Keeping the return statement is advisable.
Additional Error Handling: Although not strictly necessary for this simple function, checking the types of the inputs can add robustness. This could prevent unexpected behavior if someone calls the function with non-numeric types:
```
def find_sum(num1: float, num2: float) -> float:
    if not (isinstance(num1, (int, float)) and isinstance(num2, (int, float))):
        raise ValueError("Both arguments must be integers or floats.")
    return num1 + num2
```
Function Name: The function name find_sum is generally descriptive and acceptable. However, if the context requires a different naming convention (e.g., more specific based on the application), it could be adjusted.

With these improvements, the updated function would be:

def find_sum(num1: float, num2: float) -> float:
    ''' 
    Finds and returns the sum of two numbers.
    
    Parameters:
    num1 (int or float): The first number to be added.
    num2 (int or float): The second number to be added.
    
    Returns:
    int or float: The sum of num1 and num2.
    '''
    
    if not (isinstance(num1, (int, float)) and isinstance(num2, (int, float))):
        raise ValueError("Both arguments must be integers or floats.")
    
    return num1 + num2

These adjustments will not only improve the readability and maintainability of the code but also prepare it for easier debugging and future enhancements.