MODULE IV: FUNCTIONS

By: Dim ple Bohra

 Functions
❖ What is Function ?
❖ Advantages of Functions
❖ Types of functions
❖ How function works ?
❖ Parameter Passing
❖ Return Statement
❖ Call by Value
❖ Call by Reference
❖ Recursive function
❖ How recursion works ?
❖ How to write recursive function ?
❖ Recursive Function Call
 WHAT IS FUNCTION ?

❖ A function is a block of code that performs a specific task

❖ Functions are building blocks of any programming language
❖ It is a reusable block of code that makes a program easier to understand, test and can be easily
modified without changing the calling program
 ADVANTAGES OF FUNCTIONS

❖ It provides modularity to your program's structure

❖ It makes your code reusable. You just have to call the function by its name to use it,
wherever required
❖ In case of large programs with thousands of code lines, debugging and editing becomes
easier if you use functions
❖ It makes the program more readable and easy to understand
TYPES OF FUNCTIONS
 TYPES OF FUNCTIONS

Library functions
❖ Library functions are those functions which are already defined in C library
❖ Example: printf(), scanf(), strcat() etc.
❖ You just need to include appropriate header files to use these functions

User-defined functions:
❖ User Defined Functions are those functions which are defined by the user at the time of writing
program
❖ These functions are made for code reusability and for saving time and space
 HOW FUNCTION WORKS

return_type function_name (argument list)

{
function body;
return_type function_name (argument list); }

Function Function
Declaration Definition

Function Call

function_name (argument list);

HOW FUNCTION WORKS
 HOW FUNCTION WORKS

Function declaration: (Function Prototype)

❖ A function must be declared globally to tell the compiler about the function name, function
parameters, and return type
Function call:
❖ Function can be called from anywhere in the program
❖ The parameter list must not differ in function calling and function declaration
Function definition:
❖ It contains the actual statements which are to be executed
❖ The program control comes to function definition when the function is called
❖ Only one value can be returned from the function
 HOW FUNCTION WORKS

void add(); // Function Declaration

int main()
{
add(); // Function Call
Example: Write a C Program return 0;
to perform addition of two }
numbers using function.
void add() // Function Definition
{
int n1,n2;
printf("\n Enter two numbers:");
scanf("%d %d", &n1, &n2);
printf("\n Addition of %d and %d = %d", n1, n2, n1+n2);
}
 PARAMETER (ARGUMENT) PASSING

❖ The mechanism used to convey information to the

function is the argument
❖ A function's arguments are used to receive the
necessary values by the function call

Actual arguments:
The values that are passed to the called function from the
main function are known as Actual arguments
Formal arguments:
The variables declared in the function prototype or
definition are known as Formal arguments
 PARAMETER (ARGUMENT) PASSING

void add(int a, int b); // Function Declaration

int main()
Formal
{ Arguments
int n1,n2;
Example: Write a C Program printf("\n Enter two numbers:");
to perform addition of two scanf("%d %d", &n1, &n2);
numbers using function.
add(n1, n2); // Function Call
return 0; Actual
} Arguments
void add(int n1, int n2) // Function Definition
{
Formal
printf("\n Addition of %d and %d = %d", a, b, a+b);
Arguments
}
 RETURN STATEMENT

❖ The return statement is used to terminate the

execution of a function and transfer program
control back to the calling function
❖ A function may contain one or more return
statements
❖ A function can return only one value at a time
❖ Return type of a function and return value data
type should be same
 PARAMETER (ARGUMENT) PASSING

Parameter passing can be done in two ways: (Types of function calls)

1. Call by value
2. Call by reference
 CALL BY VALUE

❖ The value of the actual parameters is copied into the formal parameters
❖ The arguments in the function call (Actual arguments) are not modified by the change
in parameters of the called function (Formal arguments)
❖ Different memory is allocated for actual and formal parameters

a b a b
Actual Argument 10 20 10 20 Formal Argument

100 150 200 250

Local to main Local to function

 CALL BY VALUE

Example: Write a C Program to swap two numbers

void swap(int , int); void swap(int a, int b)

int main() {
{ int temp;
int a = 10; temp = a;
int b = 20; a = b;
printf(“\n Before swapping the values in main”); b = temp;
printf(“ a = %d, b = %d ",a, b); printf(“\n After swapping values in function”);
swap(a, b); printf(“a = %d, b = %d“, a, b);
printf(“\n After swapping values in main); }
printf(“a = %d, b = %d ",a, b);
}
 CALL BY REFERENCE

❖ The address of the variable is passed into the function call as the actual parameter
❖ The value of the actual parameters can be modified by changing the formal parameters since
the address of the actual parameters is passed
❖ Same memory is allocated for both formal parameters and actual parameters

a a
Actual Argument 10 100 Formal Argument

100 200
Normal Variable Pointer that stores the address
of actual argument
 CALL BY REFERENCE

Example: Write a C Program to swap two numbers

void swap(int *, int *); void swap(int *a, int *b)

int main() {
{ int temp;
int a = 10; temp = *a;
int b = 20; *a = *b;
printf(“\n Before swapping the values in main”); *b = temp;
printf(“ a = %d, b = %d ",a, b); printf(“\n After swapping values in function”);
swap(&a, &b); printf(“a = %d, b = %d“, *a, *b);
printf(“\n After swapping values in main); }
printf(“a = %d, b = %d ",a, b);
}