Chapter 6

User-Defined Functions

C++ Programming: Program Design Including Data Structures, Eighth Edition

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 Objectives (1 of 2)

• In this chapter, you will:

• Learn about standard (predefined) functions and discover how to use them in a
program
• Learn about user-defined functions
• Examine value-returning functions , including actual and formal parameters
• Explore how to construct and use a value-returning, user-defined function in a
program
• Learn about function prototypes
• Learn how to construct and use void functions

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 Objectives (2 of 2)

• Discover the difference between value and reference parameters

• Explore reference parameters and value-returning functions
• Learn about the scope of an identifier
• Examine the difference between local and global identifiers
• Discover static variables
• Learn how to debug programs using drivers and stubs
• Learn function overloading
• Explore functions with default parameters

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 Introduction

• Functions allow complicated programs to be divided into manageable pieces

• Functions are often called modules
• They are like miniature programs that can be combined to form larger programs

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 Predefined Functions (1 of 2)

• In C++, a function is similar to that of a function in algebra

• It has a name
• It does some computation
• Some of the predefined mathematical functions are:
pow(x, y)
sqrt(x)
floor(x)

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 Predefined Functions (2 of 2)

• Predefined functions are organized into separate libraries

• I/O functions are in iostream header
• Math functions are in cmath header
• To use predefined functions, you must include the header file using an
include statement
• See Table 6-1 in the text for some common predefined functions

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 User-Defined Functions

• Value-returning functions have a return type

• Return a value of a specific data type using the return statement
• Void functions do not have a return type
• Do not use a return statement to return a value

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 Value-Returning Functions (1 of 3)

• To use these functions, you must:

• Include the appropriate header file in your program using the include statement
• Know the following items:
- Name of the function
- Number of parameters, if any
- Data type of each parameter
- Data type of the value returned, called the type of the function

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 Value-Returning Functions (2 of 3)

• Can use the value returned by a value-returning function by:

• Saving it for further calculation
• Using it in some calculation
• Printing it
• A value-returning function is used:
• In an assignment
• As a parameter in a function call
• In an output statement

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 Value-Returning Functions (3 of 3)

• Heading (or function header): the first line of the function

• Example: int abs(int number)
• The body is the function’s code that accomplishes the task
• Formal parameter: a variable declared in the heading
• Example: number
• Actual parameter: a variable or expression listed in a call to a function
• Example: x = pow(u, v)

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 Syntax: Value-Returning Function

• Syntax

• functionType is also called the data type or return type

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 Syntax: Formal Parameter List

FIGURE 6-1 Various parts of the function abs

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 Function Call

• Syntax to call a value-returning function

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 Syntax: Actual Parameter List

• The syntax of the actual parameter list is:

• The formal parameter list can be empty

• A call to a value-returning function with an empty formal parameter list is:

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 return Statement

• A function returns its value via the return statement

• It passes this value outside the function

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 Syntax: return Statement (1 of 2)

• The return statement has this syntax:

• In C++, return is a reserved word

• When a return statement executes
• The function immediately terminates
• Control goes back to the caller
• When a return statement executes in the function main, the program
terminates

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 Syntax: return Statement (2 of 2)

FIGURE 6-2 Various parts of the function larger

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 Function Prototype

• A function prototype is the function heading without the body of the function
• The general syntax of the function prototype of a value-returning function is:

• It is not necessary to specify the variable name in the parameter list

• The data type of each parameter must be specified

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 Value-Returning Functions: Some Peculiarities (1 of 2)

A correct definition of the function secret is:

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 Value-Returning Functions: Some Peculiarities (2 of 2)

• Examples pointing out that the return statement only returns one value

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More Examples of Value-Returning Functions (1 of 2)

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 More Examples of Value-Returning Functions (2 of 2)

• In addition to Example 6-3 courseGrade, other examples are given in the

text
• Example 6-4 (rolling a pair of dice)
• Example 6-5 (Fibonacci number)
• Example 6-6 (palindrome)
• Example 6-7 (cable company)

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 Flow of Compilation and Execution (1 of 2)

• Execution always begins at the first statement in the function main

• Other functions are executed only when called
• Function prototypes appear before any function definition
• The compiler translates these first
• The compiler can then correctly translate a function call

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 Flow of Compilation and Execution (2 of 2)

• A function call transfers control to the first statement in the body of the called
function
• When the end of a called function is executed, control is passed back to the
point immediately following the function call
• A function’s returned value replaces the function call statement

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 Void Functions (1 of 4)

• User-defined void functions can be placed either before or after the function
main
• If user-defined void functions are placed after the function main
• The function prototype must be placed before the function main
• A void function does not have a return type
• A return statement without any value is typically used to exit the function early

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 Void Functions (2 of 4)

• Formal parameters are optional

• A call to a void function is a stand-alone statement
• The function definition of void functions with parameters has the following
syntax:

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 Void Functions (3 of 4)

• Formal parameter list syntax

• Function call syntax

• Actual parameter list syntax

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 Void Functions (4 of 4)

• Two types of formal parameters

• Value parameter: a formal parameter that receives a copy of the content of
corresponding actual parameter
• Reference parameter: a formal parameter that receives the location (memory
address) of the corresponding actual parameter

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 Value Parameters

• If a formal parameter is a value parameter, the value of the corresponding

actual parameter is copied into it
• A formal parameter has its own copy of the data
• During program execution, a formal parameter manipulates the data stored in
its own memory space

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 Reference Variables as Parameters (1 of 2)

• If a formal parameter is a reference parameter:

• It receives the memory address of the corresponding actual parameter
• During program execution to manipulate data:
• Changes to a formal parameter will change the corresponding actual parameter

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 Reference Variables as Parameters (2 of 2)

• Reference parameters are useful in three situations:

• When changing the actual parameter
• When returning more than one value
• When passing the address would save memory space and time

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 Value and Reference Parameters and Memory Allocation (1 of 2)

• When a function is called:

• Memory for its formal parameters and its local variables is allocated in the function
data area
• For a value parameter, the actual parameter’s value is copied into the formal
parameter’s memory cell
• Changes to the formal parameter do not affect the actual parameter’s value

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 Value and Reference Parameters and Memory Allocation (2 of 2)

• For a reference parameter, the actual parameter’s address passes to the formal
parameter
• Both formal and actual parameters refer to the same memory location
• During execution, any change made to the formal parameter’s value immediately
changes the actual parameter’s value

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 Reference Parameters and Value-Returning Functions

• Can also use reference parameters in a value-returning function

• Not recommended
• By definition, a value-returning function returns a single value via return
statement
• If a function needs to return more than one value, change it to a void function
and use reference parameters to return the values

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 Scope of an Identifier

• Scope of an identifier: where in the program the identifier is accessible

• Local identifier: identifiers declared within a function (or block)
• Global identifier: identifiers declared outside of every function definition
• C++ does not allow nested functions
• Definition of one function cannot be included in the body of another function

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 Rules Applied When an Identifier is Accessed (1 of 2)

• Global identifiers are accessible by a function or block if:

• The identifier is declared before the function definition (block)
• The function name different from the identifier
• All parameters to the function have different names than the identifier name
• All local identifiers have different names than the identifier name

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 Rules Applied When an Identifier is Accessed (2 of 2)

• (Nested block) – an identifier declared within a block is accessible:

• From its point of declaration to the end of the block in which it is declared
• Within nested blocks if no identifier with the same name exists
• The scope of a function name is similar to the scope of an identifier declared
outside any block
• The function name scope is the same as the global variable scope

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 Other Notes about Global Variables

• Some compilers initialize global variables to default values

• The scope resolution operator in C++ is ::
• By using the scope resolution operator:
• A global variable declared before the definition of a function (or block) can be
accessed by the function (or block) even if the function (or block) has an identifier
with the same name as the global variable
• To access a global variable declared after the definition of a function, the
function must not contain any identifier with the same name
• Reserved word extern indicates that a global variable has been declared elsewhere

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 Global Variables, Named Constants, and Side Effects

• Using global variables causes side effects

• A function that uses global variables is not independent
• If more than one function uses the same global variable:
• It can be difficult to debug problems with the code
• Problems caused in one area of the program may appear to be from another area
• Global named constants have no side effects

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 Static and Automatic Variables (1 of 2)

• Automatic variable: memory is allocated at block entry and deallocated at block

exit
• By default, variables declared within a block are automatic variables
• Static variable: memory remains allocated as long as the program executes
• Global variables declared outside of any block are static variables

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 Static and Automatic Variables (2 of 2)

• Declare a static variable within a block by using the reserved word static
• The syntax for declaring a static variable is:

• Static variables declared within a block are local to the block

• Have same scope as any other local identifier in that block

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 Debugging: Using Drivers and Stubs

• A driver program is a separate program used to test a function

• When results calculated by one function are needed in another function, use a
function stub
• A function stub is a function that is not fully coded

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 Function Overloading: An Introduction

• In a C++ program, several functions can have the same name

• Function overloading (or overloading a function name) occurs when creating
several functions with the same name
• Two functions are said to have different formal parameter lists if both functions
have either:
• A different number of formal parameters
• If the number of formal parameters is the same, but the data type of the formal
parameters differs in at least one position

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 Function Overloading

• Overloaded functions must have different formal parameter lists

• The signature: the name and formal parameter list of the function
• Does not include the return type of the function
• The parameter list supplied in a call to an overloaded function determines
which function is executed

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 Functions with Default Parameters (1 of 2)

• In a function call, the number of actual and formal parameters must be the
same
• C++ relaxes this condition for functions with default parameters
• Can specify the value of a default parameter in the function prototype
• If you do not specify the value for a default parameter when calling the
function, the default value is used

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 Functions with Default Parameters (2 of 2)

• All default parameters must be the rightmost parameters of the function

• If a default parameter value is not specified:
• You must omit all of the arguments to its right
• Default values can be constants, global variables, or function calls
• Cannot assign a constant value as a default value to a reference parameter

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 Quick Review (1 of 4)

• Functions (modules) divide a program into manageable tasks

• C++ provides standard, predefined functions
• Two types of user-defined functions: value-returning functions and void
functions
• Variables defined in a function heading are called formal parameters
• Expressions, variables, or constant values in a function call are called actual
parameters

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 Quick Review (2 of 4)

• Function heading and the body of the function are called the definition of the
function
• A value-returning function returns its value via the return statement
• A prototype is the function heading without the body of the function
• User-defined functions execute only when they are called
• Void functions do not have a data type

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 Quick Review (3 of 4)

• There are two types of formal parameters

• A value parameter receives a copy of its corresponding actual parameter
• A reference parameter receives the memory address of its corresponding actual
parameter
• Variables declared within a function (or block) are called local variables
• Variables declared outside of every function definition (and block) are global
variables

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 Quick Review (4 of 4)

• An automatic variable is a variable for which memory is allocated on

function/block entry and deallocated on function/block exit
• A static variable is a variable for which memory remains allocated throughout
the execution of the program
• C++ functions can have default parameters

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