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Python Functional Python The Lambda Lambada Currying

Posted by Roger Perelló
Roger Perelló
4,293 Points

Help with the last return lambda inside curried_f

Hi! I understand that this first part of the function in the video comes into effect for some combinations of arguments (if y and z passed, if only z is not passed) when curried_f is called:

def curried_f(x, y=None, z=None):
    def f(x, y, z):
        return x**3 + y**2 + z

    if y is not None and z is not None:
        return f(x, y, z)
    if y is not None:
        return lambda z: f(x, y, z)

I also assume that the next part takes care of the other possible combinations (if neither z nor y are passed, if y is not passed):

    return lambda y, z=None: (
        f(x, y, z) if (y is not None and z is not None)
        else (lambda z: f(x, y, z)))

However, what happens in there doesn't seem to translate into that. The "if (y is not None and z is not None)" and "(lambda z: f(x, y, z))" both look like they refer to combinations of arguments already tackled in the first part (respectively: if y and z passed, if only z is not passed). How does that last part work to achieve "if neither z nor y are passed, if y is not passed"?

2 Answers

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,268 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,268 Points

You're confusing the conditions of the returned lambda with the conditions of curried_f itself.

That final "return" gives you another function (a lambda) that will give you the result if called with 2 arguments, but give you yet another lambda if called with only one.

Consider what happens in each of the 4 possible usage cases to get a final value:

curried_f(2, 3, 4))  # first return
curried_f(2, 3)(4))  # second return
curried_f(2)(3, 4))  # third return, then first case
curried_f(2)(3)(4))  # third return, then second case
Roger Perelló
Roger Perelló
4,293 Points
Roger Perelló
Roger Perelló
4,293 Points

I think I get it. So that last return is for people who only passed in X. It would say something like: "I transform the caller into a function that requires 'Y' and accepts 'Z', which simply returns the final result if both are given. If this is not the case, and I only get 'Y', I change the caller to a function that needs 'Z'." Thanks!