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RV College of
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Course Name: Programming in C

Course Code: 21CS13
Unit 4A- Functions and Storage Classes

Prof. Veena Gadad

Department of Computer Science and Engineering
RVCE
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Contents

1
1. Introduction

2 2. Using functions

3. Types of functions
3
4. Category of functions
4
 Introduction Go, change the world
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• The structured programming approach to program design was based on the

following methods:

• Solving a large problem, by breaking it into several pieces and working on each piece

separately

• Solving each piece by treating it as a new problem that can itself be broken down into

smaller problems

• Repeating the process with each new piece until each can be solved directly, without

further decomposition
 Concept of function Go, change the world
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• A function is a self-contained block of program statements that performs a

particular task.

• It is often defined as a section of a program performing a specific job.

• The separate program segment is called a function and the program that calls it is

called the ‘main program’.

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1. It makes programs significantly easier to understand and maintain by breaking

up a program into easily manageable chunks.

2. Reduces the lines of code in the main program.

3. Code reusability- The C standard library is an example of the reuse of functions.

This enables code sharing.

4. Protect the data.

 Using function Go, change the world
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• All C programs contain at least one function, called main() where execution starts.

• Returning from this function, the program execution terminates and the returned

value is treated as an indication of success or failure of program execution.

• When a function is called, the code contained in that function is executed, and

when the function has finished executing, control returns to the point at which that

function was called.

• Functions are used by calling them from other functions. When a function is used,

it is referred to as the ‘called function’.

 Using function Go, change the world
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• The functions have three components:

1. Function prototype declaration.

2. Function Call.

3. Function Definition.
 Function prototype declaration. Go, change the world
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• A user-written function should normally be declared prior to its use to allow the
compiler to perform type checking on the arguments used in its call statement or
calling construct.
• The general form of this function declaration statement is as follows:
return_data_type function_name (data_type variable1, ...);
• function_name This is the name given to the function and it follows the same naming rules
as that for any valid variable in C.
• return_data_type : This specifies the type of data given back to the calling construct by the
function after it executes its specific task.
• data_type_list This list specifies the data type of each of the variables, the values of which
are expected to be transmitted by the calling construct to the function
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The following are some examples of declaration statements.

(a) float FtoC(float faren);
(b) double power(double, int);
(c) int isPrime(int);
(d) void printMessage(void);
(e) void fibo_series(int);
 Function Definition. Go, change the world
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• The collection of program statements in C that describes the specific task done by
the function is called a function definition.
• It consists of the function header and a function body, which is a block of code
enclosed in parentheses.
• The definition creates the actual function in memory. Function Header
• The general form of the function definition is as follows:
return_data_type function name(data_type variable1, data_type variable2,……)
{
Function Body
/* Function Body */
}
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• Function header is similar to the function declaration, but does not require the
semicolon at the end.
• The list of variables in the function header is also referred to as the formal
parameters.

Write a function that computes xn , where x is any valid number and n an integer value
 Function Definition. Go, change the world
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Write a function that computes xn , where x is any valid number and n an integer value

double power(double x, int n) /* function header */

{
/* function body starts here... */
double result = 1.0; /* declaration of variable result */
for(int i = 1; i<=n; i++)
result *= x; /* : */
return result; /* return value in ‘result’ to calling function*/
} /* function body ends here... */
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Function for converting a temperature from Fahrenheit scale to Celsius scale.

float FtoC(float faren) /*function header */

{ /* function body starts here…….*/
float factor = 5.0/9.0;
float freezing = 32.0;
float celsius;
celsius = factor (faren - freezing);
return celsius;
} /* function body ends here……. */
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NOTE:

1. A function can only return one value.

2. A function with return type void does not return any value.

3. There may be more than one return statement in a function, but only one

return statement will be executed per call to the function.

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Function definition to check whether a given year is a leap year or not

void leap_yr(int yr)

{
if((yr%4==0)&&(yr%100!=0)||yr%400 ==0)
return 1;
else
return 0;
}
 Function Call. Go, change the world
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• A function will carry out its expected action whenever it is invoked (i.e. whenever the
function is called) from some portion of a program.
• The program control passes to that of the called function.
• Once the function completes its task, the program control is returned back to the
calling function.
• The general form of the function call statement (or construct) is:
function_name(variable1, variable2,…); function_name();
or or
variable_name = function_name(variable1, variable_name = function_name();
variable2,…);
 Information will be passed to the function via special identifiers or expression called arguments or actual
parameters
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#include<stdio.h> 5

int fact(int n)
int fact(int n); 1

{ 1. Function Declaration.
int main() 3
…… 2. Function Call.
{
…… 3. Function Definition.
….
return result; 4. Arguments
Z= fact(int n); 2

4
} 5. Parameters
….
}
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Function for converting a temperature from Fahrenheit scale to Celsius scale.

#include <stdio.h>
float FtoC(float faren) /*function header */
float FtoC(float); //Function prototype declaration
{
int main(void)
/* function body starts here…….*/

float factor = 5.0/9.0;

{
float freezing = 32.0;
float tempInF;
float celsius;
float tempInC;
celsius = factor (faren - freezing);
printf(“\n Temperature in Fahrenheit scale: ”);
return celsius;
scanf(“%f”, &tempInF);
}
tempInC = FtoC(tempInF); //Function calling
/* function body ends
here……. */

printf(“%f Fahrenheit equals %f Celsius \n”,

tempInF,tempInC);
return 0;
}
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• The technique used to pass data to a function is known as parameter passing.

• Data is passed to a function using one of the two techniques: pass by value or call by value

and pass by reference or call by reference.

• In call by value, a copy of the data is made and the copy is sent to the function. The copies

of the value held by the arguments are passed by the function call.

• In call by reference, sends the address of the data rather than a copy. In this case, the called

function can change the original data in the calling function.

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• In call by value, a copy of the data is made and the copy is sent to the function. The copies

of the value held by the arguments are passed by the function call.

• Since only copies of values held in the arguments are passed by the function call to the

formal parameters of the called function, the value in the arguments remains unchanged.

• As only copies of the values held in the arguments are sent to the formal parameters, the

function cannot directly modify the arguments passed.

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#include int mul_by_10(int num); /* function prototype */

int main(void)
{ num = 3, before function call.
result = 30, after return from function.
int result, num = 3; num = 3
printf(“\n num = %d before function call.”, num);
result = mul_by_10(num);
printf(“\n result = %d after return from function”, result);
printf(“\n num = %d”, num);
return 0;
}
/* function definition follows */
int mul_by_10(int num)
{
num *= 10;
return num;
}
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• In call by reference, sends the address of the data rather than a copy. In this case, the called

function can change the original data in the calling function.

• For example: Passing arrays to functions.

• When an array is passed to a function, the address of the array is passed and not the copy of

the complete array.

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#include <stdio.h> /**** function definition ****/

int maximum(int [],int); /* function prototype */ int maximum(int values[], int n)
int main(void) {
{ int max_value, i;
int values[5], i, max; max_value = values[0];
printf(“Enter 5 numbers\n”); for(i = 1; i < n; ++i)
for(i = 0; i < 5; ++i) if(values[i] > max_value)
scanf(“%d”, &values[i]); max_value = values[i];
max = maximum(values,5); /* function call */ return max_value;
printf(“\nMaximum value is %d\n”, max); }
return 0;
Output
}
Enter 5 numbers
11 15 8 21 7
Maximum value is 21
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Write a program that uses a function to perform addition and subtraction of two matrices having integer
numbers.
#include <stdio.h> for(i=0; i<row; i++) if(choice==1)
#define row 2 /** Read second matrix elements **/ c[i][j]= a[i][j] + b[i][j];
#define col 3 for(j=0; j<col; j++) else if(choice==2)
void mat_arith(int [][col], int [][col]); scanf(“%d”,&b[i][j]); c[i][j]= a[i][j] - b[i][j];
/* function prototype */ mat_arith(a,b); /** function call **/ else
int main() } {
{ void mat_arith(int a[][col], int b[][col]) printf(“\n Invalid choice. Task not done.”);
int a[row][col], b[row][col],i,j; { return;
printf(“\n Enter elements of the first int c[row][col],i,j,choice; }
matrix.\n”); printf(“\n For addition enter: 1 \n”) }
for(i=0; i<row; i++) printf(“For subtraction enter: 2\n”); printf(“\n The resulting matrix is:\n”);
/** Read first matrix elements **/ printf(“\nEnter your choice:”); for(i=0; i<row; i++)
for(j=0; j<col; j++) scanf(“%d”,&choice); {
scanf(“%d”,&a[i][j]); for(i=0; i<row; i++) for(j=0; j<col; j++)
printf(“\n Enter elements of the second for(j=0; j<col; j++) printf(“%d”, c[i][j]);
matrix.\n”); { printf(“\n\n”);
}
return;
}
 Storage Classes in C Go, change the world
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• In C, the variables are declared by the type of data they can hold.

• During the execution of the program, these variables may be stored in the CPU registers or

the primary memory of the computer.

• To indicate where the variables would be stored, how long they would exist, what would be

their region of existence, and what would be the default values, C provides four storage

class specifiers that can be used along with the data type specifiers in the declaration

statement of a variable.

• These four storage class specifiers are automatic, external, register, and static
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• The storage class specifier precedes the declaration statement for a variable.

• The general form of the variable declaration statement that includes the storage class

specifier is given as follows:

storage_class_specifier data_type variable_name;

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• By default, all variables declared within the body of any function are automatic.

• The keyword auto is used in the declaration of a variable to explicitly specify its storage

class.

• For example, the following declaration statement within a function body

auto char any_alpha;

• These variables are stored in the primary memory of the computer

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• Values stored in registers of the CPU are accessed in much lesser time than those stored in

the primary memory.

• To allow the fastest access time for variables, the register storage class specifier is used.

• The keyword for this storage class is register.

For example: register int a;

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NOTE:

1. Global variables with register storage class are not allowed.

2. In C, it is not possible to obtain the address of a register variable by using ‘&’ operator.

3. In addition, the only storage class specifier that can be used in a parameter declaration is

register
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• Two types of variables are allowed to be specified as static variables: local variables and

global variables.

• The local variables are also referred to as internal static variables whereas the global

variables are also known as external static variables.

• The default value of a static variable is zero.

• To specify a local variable as static, the keyword static precedes its declaration statement
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• A static local variable is allotted a permanent storage location in the primary memory.

• This variable is usable within functions or blocks where it is declared and preserves its

previous value held by it between function calls or between block re-entries.

• However, once a function is invoked, the static local variable retains the value in it and exists

as long as the main program is in execution.

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• The external static variables in a program file are declared like global variables with the

keyword static preceding its declaration statement.

• These static variables are accessible by all functions in the program file where these variables

exist and are declared.

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#include int main()

void show(void) {
{
void show(void); static int i;
printf(“\n First Call of show()”);
printf(“\n i=%d”,i);
show();
Output
printf(“\n Second Call of show()”); i++;
show(); First Call of show() i=0
}
printf(“\n Third Call of show()”);
Second Call of show() i=1
show();
return 0; Third Call of show() i=2
}
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• A program in C, particularly when it is large, can be broken down into smaller programs.

• After compiling, each program file can be joined together to form the large program.

• These small program modules that combine together may need some variables that are

used by all of them.

• These variables are global to all the small program modules that are formed as separate

files.

• The keyword for declaring such global variables is extern.

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//first.c
extern int i;
/***** function definition of show()*********/
void show(void) /*** function header ***/
{ /*** fn. body starts..**/
printf("\n Value of i in pgm2.c=%d",i);
}
//second.c
#include <stdio.h>
#include "first.c" /*** link program pgm2.c ***/
int i; /*** external/global decl.**/
void show(void); /*** function prototype ***/
int main()
{
i=10;
show(); /* call to function in program file
pgm2.c */
printf("\nValue of i in pgm1.c=%d",i);
return 0;
}
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