How to use *args and **kwargs in Python

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Or, How to use variable length argument lists in Python.

The special syntax, *args and **kwargs in function declarations is used to pass a variable number of arguments to a function. The single asterisk form (*args) is used to pass a non-keyworded, variable-length argument list, and the double asterisk form is used to pass a keyworded, variable-length argument list. Here is an example of how to use the non-keyworded form. This example passes one formal argument, and two more variable length arguments.

def test_var_args(farg, *args):
    print "formal arg: %s" % farg
    for arg in args:
        print "another arg: %s" % arg

test_var_args(1, 'two', 3)

Results:

formal arg: 1
another arg: two
another arg: 3

Here is an example of how to use the keyworded form. Again, one formal argument and two keyworded variable arguments are passed.

def test_var_kwargs(farg, **kwargs):
    print "formal arg: %s" % farg
    for key in kwargs:
        print "another keyword arg, %s: %s" % (key, kwargs[key])

test_var_kwargs(farg=1, myarg2='two', myarg3=3)

Results:

formal arg: 1
another keyword arg, myarg2: two
another keyword arg, myarg3: 3

See also Section 5.3.4 in the Python Reference Manual

Reference: Core Python Programming, Second Edition, Section 11.6