Python Project: Function to Calculate the Sum of a List

Level: Beginner

Project Overview 💡

In this project, you’ll learn how to work with Python’s built-in sum() function to calculate the sum of a list. This is an essential skill for working with lists, especially when you’re dealing with datasets or performing calculations in data analysis.

Challenge Yourself! 🚀

Before looking at the solution, try to solve this on your own!

Task:

Create a function that takes a list as an argument, calculates the sum of the list items, and returns the sum. Then, call the function and print the output.

Expected Output:

Here is the expected output if I called the function using the list [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:

Give it a shot! Scroll down when you’re ready for the complete step-by-step guide.

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Spoiler Alert!

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Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1️⃣: Define the Function

We’ll start by defining a function that will take in a list of numbers and return the sum. This will allow us to easily calculate the sum of any list we provide.

Place this code in lines 1-2:

def calculate_sum(numbers):
    return sum(numbers)

Step 2️⃣: Create a List of Numbers

Next, we need to create a list of numbers that we’ll use for the calculation. You can customize the list to test with different sets of numbers.

Place this code in line 4:

numbers_list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Step 3️⃣: Call the Function and Print the Result

Now, call the calculate_sum() function with the list of numbers, and print the result so you can see the total sum.

Place this code in line 5:

print(str(calculate_sum(numbers_list)))

Complete Code 🧨

def calculate_sum(numbers):
    return sum(numbers)

numbers_list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print(str(calculate_sum(numbers_list)))

Extra Challenge 🚀

Think of ways you can make the program more robust. For example:

• Add error handling to check if the list contains any non-numeric values, and handle them appropriately.

• Modify the function to calculate the sum of only positive numbers, ignoring negative ones.

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