Does a function always return a value? Explain with an example.
No, a function does not always return a value. A function may or may not return a value when called.
Functions that perform calculations and display results but do not return any value are called void functions. Such functions simply execute their statements and return control to the calling function without sending back any value.
When we need to send value(s) from the function to its calling function, we use the return statement. For example, the calcPow() function accepts base and exponent as arguments and returns the calculated value using return statement. The return statement returns the control to the calling function along with value(s) or None.
Explanation
The textbook clearly states in section 7.3.3 that 'A function may or may not return a value when called.' It explains that functions which perform calculations and display results without returning any value are called void functions. The return statement is used when we need to send values back to the calling function. The example of calcPow() function from Program 7-10 demonstrates a function that returns a value ().