Positional parameter
A positional parameter is a command or function parameter whose value or meaning is determined by its position among supplied arguments rather than an explicit name.
Tiny Python Projects: Learn coding and testing with puzzles and games
A command-line parameter whose meaning is determined by its position in the argument sequence rather than by an option name.
- How it is used
- Uses positional parameters to define required command-line input for small Python programs and exercises.
- How deep it goes
- Explains naming, ordering, requiredness, nargs='+' and nargs='*', lists, help output, and validation, without descending into argparse internals.
- Examples
- Demonstrates word, text, letter, item, and file arguments through greeting, picnic, lookup, file-reading, and string-replacement programs.
- What you can do after
- Build command-line interfaces that parse, validate, document, and consume one or more positional values.
Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches: Fourth Edition, Covers Windows, Linux, and macOS
A positional parameter is a command or script parameter whose value can be supplied by its position without naming the parameter explicitly.
- How it is used
- Speeds up frequently used PowerShell commands by allowing values without repeatedly typing parameter names.
- How deep it goes
- Explains syntax markers, position numbers, ordering rules, mixed usage, and readability tradeoffs without covering parameter binding internals.
- Examples
- Demonstrates Get-Item, Get-ChildItem, Get-Help, and Get-DiskInventory.ps1 with positional and named forms.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via PowerShell by reading help syntax, supplying positional values correctly, and choosing named parameters for durable scripts.
The Well-Grounded Python Developer: How the pros use Python and Flask
A positional parameter is a function parameter whose value is assigned according to its position among the supplied arguments.
- How it is used
- Defines input order as part of a Python function’s API contract.
- How deep it goes
- Works through definition and call order, named calls, and missing required values without descending into function internals.
- Examples
- Uses full_name calls with ordered or named arguments and print calls with multiple objects.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch by defining required function inputs in a clear order and calling them accordingly.
Learn PowerShell Scripting in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition: Write and organize scripts and tools
Positional parameter binding assigns arguments to command parameters according to their declared positions.
- How it is used
- Explains how PowerShell supplies command input during invocation and pipeline execution.
- How deep it goes
- Defines positional binding, explains its precedence in binding order, and traces execution without detailing parameter implementation internals.
- Examples
- Uses Get-Service, Where-Object, ConvertTo-HTML, and Trace-Command examples to expose and trace implicit binding.
- What you can do after
- Diagnose command behavior by expanding omitted parameter names and tracing ParameterBinding activity.
Go in Practice, Second Edition
A positional argument is a command-line value interpreted according to its position rather than an option name.
- How it is used
- Uses argument position to supply command-specific values in Cobra command-line applications.
- How deep it goes
- Defines extraction and demonstrates two operands, but does not detail validation or argument-count handling.
- Examples
- Demonstrates first-argument extraction and an add command receiving number1 and number2 as positional operands.
- What you can do after
- Apply positional arguments by extracting values from Cobra's command argument slice and passing them to application logic.
Read how Go in Practice, Second Edition explains positional parameter →
Related concepts
- file pathincludes · A file path is a textual or structured identifier specifying the location of a file or directory in a filesystem.
- filteringincludes · Filtering is the operation of selecting or excluding items from data or a collection according to specified criteria.
- command-line argumentcontrasts with · A command-line argument is a value supplied to a program when it is invoked, either as positional input or as an option that configures its behavior.
- nargsconfigured by · nargs is an argparse parameter that specifies how many command-line values an option or positional argument accepts.
- parameter bindingcontrasts with · Parameter binding is PowerShell's process of mapping supplied arguments or pipeline objects to a command's parameters.
- inputkind of · An input is a value, information, or signal supplied to a system, computation, or interface for processing or to influence its behavior.
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