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Functions: What Is A Function?

A function groups program instructions into a reusable unit that can be called from other parts of a program. The document discusses function basics like parameters, return types, and scope. It also covers more advanced topics like default parameters, inline functions, and function overloading.

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Amara Datta
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35 views

Functions: What Is A Function?

A function groups program instructions into a reusable unit that can be called from other parts of a program. The document discusses function basics like parameters, return types, and scope. It also covers more advanced topics like default parameters, inline functions, and function overloading.

Uploaded by

Amara Datta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Functions

What is a function?

A function groups a number of program instructions into one unit

and gives it a name. This can then be invoked from other parts of

the program.

It adds conceptual organization and increases reusability of the

code.

Lets move some programs to functions!

Write function to print a table of Fahrenheit to Celsius table from 0

to 300.

Lets convert the above to take limits from the user.

Write a function to check if a number is prime or not.

Use above in another function to generate all prime numbers from

2 to N, where N is given by user.


So a function looks like :
type name ( parameter1, parameter2, …) {

statements }

type is the type of the value returned by the function.

name is the identifier by which the function can be called.

parameters (as many as needed): Each parameter consists of a

type followed by an identifier, with each parameter being separated

from the next by a comma. Each parameter looks very much like a

regular variable declaration (for example: int x), and in fact acts

within the function as a regular variable which is local to the

function. The purpose of parameters is to allow passing arguments

to the function from the location where it is called from.

statements is the function’s body. It is a block of statements

surrounded by braces { } that specify what the function actually

does.

Time to try?

Write a function to return factorial of a number ?

Write a function which uses above to calculate NCR ?

More about functions

A function generally has three parts

Declaration
Definition

Invoking

Declaration is optional if function is defined above main()

A function needs to be defined or declared before it can be

called i.e. if you are calling a function A() in function B()

then A should be declared or defined above B.

do some more problems?

Write a function which takes an array and its length as argument

and returns sum of its elements.

Write a function which takes an array as argument and sorts them

using selection Sort.

There are two sorted arrays. First one is of size m+n containing

only m elements. Another one is of size n and contains n elements.

Write a function to merge these two arrays into the first array of

size m+n.

Home Work

Revise Binary Search

Write a function which takes a number X and a array and prints all

prints all pairs which sum to X.

Write a function which takes two sorted arrays, and their lengths as

arguments and returns combined median of them without using the

third array.

Implement Insertion Sort.


Inline Functions

If a function is inline, the compiler places a copy of the code of that

function at each point where the function is called at compile time.

To inline a function, place the keyword inline before the function

name and define the function before any calls are made to the

function

The compiler can ignore the inline qualifier in case defined function

is more than a line.

Default Parameter

A default parameter is a function parameter that has a default

value provided to it.

If the user does not supply a value for this parameter, the default

value will be used. If the user does supply a value for the default

parameter, the user-supplied value is used

Scope and Duration of Variables

When discussing variables, it’s useful to separate out the

concepts of scope and duration.

A variable’s scope determines where a variable is accessible

A variable’s duration determines where it is created and

destroyed

Local Variables
Variables defined inside a block are called

local variables.

Local variables have automatic duration, which means they are

created when the block they are part of is entered, and destroyed

when the block they are part of is exited.

Local variables have block scope (also called local scope), which

means they are visible only within the block that they are defined

in.

Global Variables

Variables declared outside of a block are

called global variables

Global variables have static duration, which means they are created

when the program starts and are destroyed when it ends

Global variables have global scope (also called “global

namespace scope†or “file

scope†), which means they are visible until the end of the file in

which they are declared

By convention, global variables are declared at the top of a file,

below the includes, but above any code.

Local Static Variables

Using the static keyword on local variables changes them from

automatic duration to static duration.

A static duration variable (also called a “static variable†) is one

that retains its value even after the scope in which it has been
created has been exited!

Static duration variables are only created (and initialized) once,

and then they are persisted throughout the life of the program.

Function Overloading

You can have multiple definitions for the same function name in the

same scope

The definition of the function must differ from each other by the

types and/or the number of arguments in the argument list.

You can not overload function declarations that differ only by return

type.

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