Python Basics: How to Pass Lists into Functions (With Code)

# This program demonstrates how to create a function that takes a list as a parameter and calculates the sum of its numbers.

# Define a function named 'calculate_sum' that accepts one parameter called 'numbers_list'
def calculate_sum(numbers_list):
    # Initialize a variable 'total' to 0 to keep track of the running sum
    total = 0

    # Start a loop to iterate through each individual item in the 'numbers_list'
    for number in numbers_list:
        # Add the current number to the 'total' variable
        total += number

    # Return the final calculated sum back to where the function was called
    return total

# Create a list of numbers to test the function
my_numbers = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]

# Call the 'calculate_sum' function, pass 'my_numbers' as an argument, and store the result in 'result'
result = calculate_sum(my_numbers)

# Print the final result to the console with a descriptive message
print("The sum of the list elements is:", result)