If you’ve ever written a Python function and wondered how to make it accept any number of inputs, you’re not alone. This is where two strangely named but incredibly powerful tools come in:
*args
**kwargs
Think of them as flexible containers that let your functions handle unpredictable or unlimited inputs — without breaking.
In this article, we’ll break them down using real-life examples, simple explanations, and copy-paste code.
1. What Is *args?
*args lets your function accept any number of positional arguments, even zero.
Think of it like this:
Imagine you’re at a supermarket checkout.
Some customers bring 2 items, some bring 20.
Instead of creating a different till for each customer, the cashier accepts any number of items.
***args **does exactly that for functions.
Example: Adding Any Number of Numbers
def add_numbers(*args):
return sum(args)
print(add_numbers(2, 3)) # 5
print(add_numbers(10, 20, 30)) # 60
print(add_numbers()) # 0
Whatever you pass into the function is packed into a tuple called args
2. What Is **kwargs?
****kwargs **lets your function accept any number of named arguments — things passed as key=value.
Real-life comparison:
Think of filling out a hotel registration form.
Every guest gives different details:
Name only
Name + email
Name + phone + nationality
The hotel needs one form flexible enough to accept anything.
***kwargs* works exactly like that.
Example: Guest Registration
def register_guest(**kwargs):
return kwargs
print(register_guest(name="Brent", room=305))
# {'name': 'Brent', 'room': 305}
print(register_guest(name="Alice", email="alice@email.com", nights=3))
# {'name': 'Alice', 'email': 'alice@email.com', 'nights': 3}
Everything goes into a dictionary called kwargs.
OUTPUT:
Toppings: ('cheese', 'beef')
Details: {'size': 'large', 'crust': 'thin'}
3.Why *args and **kwargs Matter in Real Projects
Here’s why developers (and data analysts) rely on them:
✔ They make functions flexible
✔ They help you build reusable code
✔ They simplify APIs and utilities
✔ They clean up long function signatures
✔ They allow you to pass through unknown parameters
In short:
They help your code adapt instead of break.
One-sentence summary:
*args is a bag of unnamed values, and **kwargs is a dictionary of named values.
Final Thoughts
**args* and ***kwargs* are not advanced concepts but rather practical tools that make your functions smarter and more flexible.
Mastering them early will save you hours of debugging in the future.
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