Nested function calls and missing input parameter, python

Question

I'm trying out some Text Classification tutorials here:

I don't understand the function calls in line 59 -- 65:

#creates a feature selection mechanism that uses all words
def make_full_dict(words):
    return dict([(word, True) for word in words])

#tries using all words as the feature selection mechanism
print 'using all words as features'
evaluate_features(make_full_dict)

Shouldn't make_full_dict be called with a string input value for words?

It looks like evaluate_features is attempting to evaluate functions and mostly likely uses that function and calls it with certain parameters. It would be helpful to post the definition of evaluate_features to be sure — R Nar
– R Nar, Commented Jul 21, 2016 at 19:16

smac89 · Accepted Answer · 2016-07-21 19:17:47Z

1

Without further context, it is a bit difficult to give a complete answer to your question. It seems that the evaluate_features method takes a function as parameter; in that case, you don't need to call the function which was passed in as a parameter. Only evaluate_features should do that. If you call the function, then the return value of the function is what evaluate_features will get, rather than the function itself

If you want to see what that function is doing, add some print statements in the make_full_dict method which will help you see what words were passed to it

answered Jul 21, 2016 at 19:17

smac89

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1 Comment

DebNa Over a year ago

Thanks @khredos, the point you made about passing "make_full_dict" return value vs the function itself makes a lot of sense. Cheers.

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