ME 172

Computer Programming Language Sessional

Lecture 4: Functions
 Functions

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

There are two types of functions in C programming:

1) Standard Library Function &

2) User Defined Function.

The standard library functions are in-built functions in C programming to handle tasks such as mathematical
computations, I/O processing, string handling etc. These functions are defined in the header file. When you
include the header file, these functions are available for use. For example: The printf() is a standard library
function to send formatted output to the screen (display output on the screen). This function is defined
in "stdio.h" header file.

C language allows programmer to define functions. Such functions created by the user are called user-defined
functions.
Library Functions:
◦ Library functions are not required to be written by us
◦ printf and scanf belong to the category of library function

Examples:
Printf(), scanf(), Sqrt(), cos(), strcat(), rand(), etc are some of library functions

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
int main( )
{
float x, y ; main() calls 3 built-in functions:
scanf(), sqrt() & printf()
scanf("%f", &x);
y=sqrt(x);
printf("Square root of %f is %f\n", x,y);
}
 Functions
General Format of User Defined Functions:

⦁ Function declaration or prototype - Informs compiler about the function name,

function parameters and return value’s data type.
⦁ Function call – This calls the actual function
⦁ Function definition – This contains all the statements to be executed.

No Function aspects Syntax

1 Function definition return_type function_name(arguments list)

{ Body of function; }

2 function call function_name ( arguments list );

3 function declaration return_type function_name ( argument list

);
 Functions
General Format of User Defined Functions:

int addNumbers(int a,int b) // function definition

{
int result;
result = a+b;
return result; // return statement
}
 Functions
Function Prototype
A function prototype is simply the declaration of a function that specifies function's name, parameters and return
type. It doesn't contain function body.

A function prototype gives information to the compiler that the function may later be used in the program.

returnType functionName(type1 argument1, type2 argument2,...);

Syntax of function call

functionName(argument1, argument2, ...);
How functions are called :

⦁ There are two ways that a C function can be called from

a program. They are,
◦ Call by value
◦ Call by reference

Call by value :

◦ In call by value method, the value of the variable is passed to the function as parameter.
◦ The value of the actual parameter can not be modified by formal parameter.
◦ Different Memory is allocated for both actual and formal parameters. Because, value of
actual parameter is copied to formal parameter.
⦁ #include<stdio.h>
void swap(int a, int b); // function prototype, also called function declaration
int main()
{
int m = 22, n = 44;
printf(" values before swap m = %d \nand n = %d", m, n);
swap(m, n); // calling swap function by value
}
void swap(int a, int b)
{
int tmp;
tmp = a;
a = b;
b = tmp;
printf(" \nvalues after swap m = %d\n and n = %d", a, b);
}
Call by Reference :

⦁ In call by reference method, the address of the variable is passed to the

function as parameter.

⦁ The value of the actual parameter can be modified by formal parameter.

⦁ Same memory is used for both actual and formal parameters since only address is used by both
parameters.
 #include<stdio.h>
void swap(int *a, int *b); // function prototype, also called function declaration
int main()
• {
• int m = 22, n = 44;
• // calling swap function by reference
•printf("values before swap m = %d \n and n = %d",m,n); swap(&m, &n);
}
void swap(int *a, int *b)
{
int tmp;
tmp = *a;
*a = *b;
*b = tmp;
printf("\n values after swap a = %d \nand b = %d", *a, *b);
}
 Example on function -1
#include<stdio.h>

void print_it(void); prototype for function

void main(void)
{
printf("This is the Main Function");
print_it();
printf("\nBack to Main Function");
}

void print_it(void)
{
printf("\nThis is the print_it Function");
}
 Example on function -2
#include<stdio.h>
void sum_of_all(int s);
void main(void)
{
printf("This is the Main Function");
sum_of_all(50);
printf("\nBack to Main Function");
}
void sum_of_all(int s)
{
long int i,sum=0;
for(i=1;i<=s;i++)
sum+=i;
printf("\nsum of all the numbers from 1 to %d is %d",s,sum);
}
 Practice Problem:
1
Write a C program to evaluate the factorial of an integer number.
The code must take input from the user and the calculation must be done in a user
defined function.
 Solution
#include<stdio.h>
int factorial(int num);
void main(void)
{
int num;
printf("Enter an integer to find its factorial: ");
scanf("%d",&num);
printf("\nThe result is %d", factorial(num));
}

int factorial(int num)

{ int i,j=1;
for(i=1;i<=num;i++)
j = j * i;
return j;
}
 Class Performance 1
 Write a C program which will evaluate the value
 of the exponent of a ny n u m b e r.

 Inputs: 1 . B a s e (x)
 2 . Exponent (y)

Output: Result (xy)

Your program will use a separate function to

evaluate the value x y.
 function: solution
#include<stdio.h>
int power(int x, int y);

void main(void)
{
int x,y;
printf("Enter the value of the base");
scanf("%d",&x);
printf("\nEnter the value of the exponent");
scanf("%d",&y);
printf("\n\nThe result is %d",power(x,y));
}

int power(x,y)
{
int i,z=1;
for(i=1;i<=y;i++)
z=z*x;
return z;
}
 Class performance 2
Write a program in C to find all the prime numbers between two positive
integers. Use separate function to determine the prime number.
 Solution
#include <stdio.h>
int checkPrimeNumber(int n);
int main()
{
int n1, n2, i, flag;
printf("Enter two positive integers: ");
scanf("%d %d", &n1, &n2); // swap n1 and n2 if n1 > n2
if (n1 > n2)
{ n1 = n1 + n2;
n2 = n1 - n2;
n1 = n1 - n2; }
printf("Prime numbers between %d and %d are: ", n1, n2);
for (i = n1 + 1; i < n2; ++i)
{
// flag will be equal to 1 if i is prime
flag = checkPrimeNumber(i);
if (flag == 1)
{
printf("%d ", i);
}
}
return 0;
}
// user-defined function to check prime number int

checkPrimeNumber(int n)
{
int j, flag = 1;
for (j = 2; j <= n / 2; ++j)
{
if (n % j == 0)
{
flag = 0; break;
}
}
return flag;
}
Recursion

“A recursive function is a function that calls itself directly.”

An example of recursive action

Recursion
** Write a program using recursive function that takes an input integer n and determines the sum of the series n +
(n-1) + (n-2) +…+1.

#include <stdio.h>

int sum(int n);

int main()
{ int a,n=5;
a = sum(n);
printf("%d",a);
return 0;
}

int sum(int n)
{
if (n<=1)
return n;
else return (n+sum(n-1));
}
 Practice Problem 3

 Find factorial of a number using recursion

 factorial using recursion
#include<stdio.h>
int fact(int n)
{ if (n==1) return 1;
else { printf("\n");
printf("fact(%d) = %d * fact(%d)",n,n,n-1);
return (n*fact(n-1));
}}

void main()
{
int x,m;

m = 6;
x = fact(m);

printf("\n");
printf("%d! = %d",m,x);

}
 Class performance 3

-Using recursive approach to find GCD (Greatest Common Divisor)

of two numbers.
 Solution
#include <stdio.h>
/* Function declaration */
int gcd(int a, int b);
int main()
{
int num1, num2, hcf;
/* Input two numbers from user */
printf("Enter any two numbers to find GCD: ");
scanf("%d%d", &num1, &num2);
hcf = gcd(num1, num2);
printf("GCD of %d and %d = %d", num1, num2, hcf);
return 0; }

/** * Recursive approach of Euclidean algorithm to find GCD of two numbers */

int gcd(int a, int b)
{
if(b == 0) return a;
else
return gcd(b, a%b);
}
 Assignments
1) Write a program in C to convert decimal number to binary number using
function.
2) Write a program to evaluate the sine series:
sin(x) = x - x3/3! + x5/5! - x7/7! + ………….10th term
Your program shall use separate functions to evaluate factorial and power.