What are decorators in Python?

Prepare for the WGU C859 Python Test with quiz questions and explanations. Study with clarity on coding concepts and exam format. Ace your exam!

Decorators in Python are indeed functions that modify or enhance the behavior of other functions. They allow programmers to wrap an existing function with another function to extend or alter its functionality without changing the original function's code. This is particularly useful for purposes like logging, enforcing access control, instrumentation, and more.

When a decorator is applied, it takes the original function as an argument, adds some kind of functionality, and then returns a new function. This returned function can be called in place of the original function, effectively "decorating" it with added features. This approach promotes code reusability and cleaner designs by separating concerns.

For example, a decorator can be used to time how long a function takes to execute or to check user permissions before executing a function. The ability to enhance the behavior of functions dynamically makes decorators a powerful feature in Python.

The other options refer to different concepts in Python programming and do not accurately describe decorators. Multi-inheritance pertains to classes, while objects that store multiple data types usually refer to data structures like lists or dictionaries. Functions that handle errors refer to error handling mechanisms, further illustrating that these are distinct from the concept of decorators.

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