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5 Functions and Program Structure

This chapter discusses functions and their importance in program structure. Functions compartmentalize parts of a program and have useful properties such as performing well-defined tasks, potentially being reused by other programs, hiding implementation details from the rest of the program, and making programs clearer and easier to maintain by replacing complex code with simple function calls. The chapter emphasizes that functions are critical for battling software complexity.

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17 views

5 Functions and Program Structure

This chapter discusses functions and their importance in program structure. Functions compartmentalize parts of a program and have useful properties such as performing well-defined tasks, potentially being reused by other programs, hiding implementation details from the rest of the program, and making programs clearer and easier to maintain by replacing complex code with simple function calls. The chapter emphasizes that functions are critical for battling software complexity.

Uploaded by

gdskumar
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 5: Functions and Program

Structure
[This chapter corresponds to K&R chapter 4.]

A function is a ``black box'' that we've locked part of our program into. The idea behind a
function is that it compartmentalizes part of the program, and in particular, that the code
within the function has some useful properties:

1. It performs some well-defined task, which will be useful to other parts of the
program.
2. It might be useful to other programs as well; that is, we might be able to reuse it
(and without having to rewrite it).
3. The rest of the program doesn't have to know the details of how the function is
implemented. This can make the rest of the program easier to think about.
4. The function performs its task well. It may be written to do a little more than is
required by the first program that calls it, with the anticipation that the calling
program (or some other program) may later need the extra functionality or
improved performance. (It's important that a finished function do its job well,
otherwise there might be a reluctance to call it, and it therefore might not achieve
the goal of reusability.)
5. By placing the code to perform the useful task into a function, and simply calling
the function in the other parts of the program where the task must be performed,
the rest of the program becomes clearer: rather than having some large,
complicated, difficult-to-understand piece of code repeated wherever the task is
being performed, we have a single simple function call, and the name of the
function reminds us which task is being performed.
6. Since the rest of the program doesn't have to know the details of how the function
is implemented, the rest of the program doesn't care if the function is
reimplemented later, in some different way (as long as it continues to perform its
same task, of course!). This means that one part of the program can be rewritten,
to improve performance or add a new feature (or simply to fix a bug), without
having to rewrite the rest of the program.

Functions are probably the most important weapon in our battle against software
complexity. You'll want to learn when it's appropriate to break processing out into
functions (and also when it's not), and how to set up function interfaces to best achieve
the qualities mentioned above: reuseability, information hiding, clarity, and
maintainability.

5.1 Function Basics


5.2 Function Prototypes
5.3 Function Philosophy
5.4 Separate Compilation--Logistics

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