Functions in C++

Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 function
●
Function is a group of valid statements
combined together to perform a well defined
task
●
Components to add for a user defined-function
– The function declaration
– The calls to the function
– The function definition

Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 //demonstrates function call Function
example
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

void repchar(char, int); //function declaration

int main() {
repchar('-', 43); //call to function
cout << "Data typ Range" << endl;
repchar('=', 23);
cout << "char -128 to 127" << endl;
cout << "short -32,768 to 32,767" << endl;
cout << "int System dependent" << endl;
cout << "double -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647" << endl;
repchar('-', 43);
char chin; int nin;
cout << "Enter a character: ";
cin >> chin;
cout << "Enter number of times to repeat it: ";
void repchar(char ch, int n) {
cin >> nin;
for(int j=0; j<n; j++)
repchar(chin, nin);
cout << ch;
return 0;
cout << endl;
}
}
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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Pass by value
●
When constants or variables are passed to it,
the function creates new variables to hold the
values of these variable arguments.
●
The function gives these new variables the
names and data types of the parameters
specified in the declarator:
– In example : ch of type char and n of type int.
●
Passing arguments in this way, where the
function creates copies of the arguments
passed to it, is called passing by value.
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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 // demonstrates passing and returning a
structure
Passing a
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
structure
struct Distance {
variable
int feet;
float inches; // adds two structures of type Distance, returns
}; sum
Distance addDist( Distance dd1, Distance
Distance addDist(Distance, Distance); dd2 ) {
void dispDist(Distance); Distance dd3;
dd3.inches = dd1.inches + dd2.inches;
int main() { dd3.feet = 0;
Distance d1, d2, d3; if(dd3.inches >= 12.0) {
cout << “\nEnter feet: “; cin >> d1.feet; dd3.inches -= 12.0; //by 12.0 and
cout << “Enter inches: “; cin >> d1.inches; dd3.feet++; //increase feet
}
cout << “\nEnter feet: “; cin >> d2.feet; dd3.feet += dd1.feet + dd2.feet; //add the
cout << “Enter inches: “; cin >> d2.inches; feet
d3 = addDist(d1, d2); return dd3; //return structure
cout << endl; }
dispDist(d1); cout << “ + “;
dispDist(d2); cout << “ = “;
dispDist(d3); cout << endl; void dispDist( Distance dd ) {
return 0; cout << dd.feet << “\’-” << dd.inches << “\””;
5
} }
Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra
 Reference Arguments
●
Passing arguments by value is useful when the function does
not need to modify the original variable in the calling program.
●
In passing arguments by reference, a reference to the original
variable in the calling program is passed.
●
An important advantage of passing by reference is that the
function can access the actual variables in the calling
program.
●
Among other benefits, this provides a mechanism for passing
more than one value from the function back to the calling
program.

Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Example
// demonstrates passing by reference
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
void intfrac(float, float&, float&); //declaration
float number, intpart, fracpart; //float variables
do {
cout << “\nEnter a real number: “;
cin >> number;
intfrac(number, intpart, fracpart);
cout << “Integer part is “ << intpart
<< “, fraction part is “ << fracpart << endl;
} while( number != 0.0 );
return 0;
}

// finds integer and fractional parts of real number

void intfrac(float n, float& intp, float& fracp) {
long temp = static_cast<long>(n);
intp = static_cast<float>(temp);
fracp = n - intp; 7
}
Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra
 Default arguments
●
Parameters can be assigned default values.
●
Parameters assume their default values when no
actual parameters are specified for them in a
function call.
●
A default argument is type checked at the time of
function declaration and evaluated at the time of
call
●
Default arguments may be provided for trailing
arguments only

Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Example: default arguments
// Find the sum of numbers in a range of values between “lower” and “upper”
using increment “inc”
int sum(int lower,int upper=100,int inc=1){
int sum=0;
for(int k=lower; k<=upper; k+= inc)
sum += k;
return sum;
}
Int main(){
cout<<sum(1);
cout<<sum(1, 10);
cout<<sum(1, 10, 2);
return 0;
} 9

Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 recursion
●
Recursion involves a function calling itself.
●
Recursion is much easier to understand with an example than with
lengthy explanations
●
Each version of the recursive function stores its own value of
variables while it’s busy calling another version of itself.
●
When a recursive function completes its execution, it returns to the
previously called version of itself
●
Every recursive function must be provided with a way to end the
recursion. Otherwise it will call itself forever and crash the
program.
●
It is not true that many versions of a recursive function are stored
in memory while it’s calling itself. Each version’s variables are
stored, but there’s only one copy of the function’s code.
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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Inline function
●
While a function may help to save memory
space, its call and return process requires some
extra time.
●
There must be an instruction
– for the jump to the function instructions
– for pushing arguments onto the stack and removing
them,
– for restoring registers
– to return to the calling program and dealing with
return values
●
All these instructions slow down the program.
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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Inline function
●
Making a short section of code into a function
may impose penalty just as much as a larger
function.
●
One solution is to simply repeat the necessary
code in your program
●
However, the repeated code lose the benefits
of program organization and clarity.
●
The solution to this issue is the inline function.

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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Inline function
●
Inline functions is a normal function in the source
file but compiles into inline code instead of into a
function.
●
The function is shown as a separate entity.
●
However, when the program is compiled, the
inline function is actually inserted into the
program wherever a function call occurs.
●
Functions that are very short, say one or two
statements, are candidates to be inlined

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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Elements violating inline property
●
A recursive call to the function
●
A loop inside function
●
Functions whose address is referenced
somewhere
●
Virtual functions (there are some exceptions)
●
A large number of statements
●
The last case does not generate any error.
Nevertheless, the inline property is violated

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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Example
// demonstrates inline functions
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

inline float lbstokg(float pounds) {

return 0.453592 * pounds;
}

int main() {
float lbs;
cout << “\nEnter your weight in pounds: “;
cin >> lbs;
cout << “Your weight in kilograms is “ << lbstokg(lbs) << endl;
return 0;
}
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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Function Calls on the
Left of the Equal Sign
●
A function that returns a reference, on the other hand, is
treated as if it were a variable.
●
It returns an alias to a variable, namely the variable in the
function’s return statement.
●
Thus it can be used on the left side of an equal sign
int main() {
int i=2,j=3;
max(i,j)= -30;
cout<<“i=“<< i << ‘\t’ <<“j=“ << j << ‘\t’ <<endl;
}
int& max(int &x, int &y){
return x>y ? x:y;
}

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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Function overloading
●
We can use same function name to create funcions that
perform a variety of different task
●
Also called function polymorphism
●
An overloaded function appears to perform different
activities depending on the kind of data sent to it.
●
It performs one operation on one kind of data but another
operation on a different kind.
●
Two variations
– Function overloaded with different number of arguments
– Function overloaded with different kind of arguments

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Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 // demonstrates function Function
overloading
#include <iostream> Overloading with
using namespace std; Different Numbers
void repchar();
void repchar(char);
of Arguments
void repchar(char, int); // repchar() : displays 45 copies of specified
character
int main() { void repchar(char ch) {
repchar(); for(int j=0; j<45; j++) // always loops 45
repchar(‘=’); times
repchar(‘+’, 30); cout << ch;
return 0; cout << endl;
} }
// repchar() : displays specified number of
// repchar() : displays 45 copies
asterisks // of specified character
void repchar() { void repchar(char ch, int n) {
for(int j=0; j<45; j++) for(int j=0; j<n; j++)
cout << ‘*’; cout << ch;
cout << endl; cout << endl;
} } 18

Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra

 Function Overloading with
// demonstrates overloaded functions Different types of
#include <iostream>
using namespace std; Arguments
struct Distance { int main() {
int feet; Distance d1;
float inches; float d2;
}; cout << “\nEnter feet: “;
cin >> d1.feet;
void dispDist( Distance dd ) { cout << “Enter inches: “;
cout << dd.feet << “\’-” << dd.inches cin >> d1.inches;
<< “\””; cout << “Enter entire distance
} in inches: “;
cin >> d2;
void dispDist( float dd ) { cout << “\nd1 = “;
int feet = static_cast<int>(dd / 12); dispDist(d1);
float inches = dd - feet*12; cout << “\nd2 = “;
cout << feet << “\’-” << inches << “\””; dispDist(d2);
} cout << endl;
return 0;
} 19

Dr. Alekha Kumar Mishra