Chapter 5

Functions

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 Functions
• A function is a collection of statements that perform a
specific task.
• A c++ program is typically written by combining new
functions with “prepackaged” functions available in C+
+ Standard Libraries.
• Most useful programs are much larger than the
programs that we have considered so far. To make
large programs manageable, we modularize them into
subprograms.
• Functions allow the programmer to modularize a
program by separating its tasks into self-contained
units.
• Once a function is written, it can be called within
other parts of the program. 2
C++ Library Functions

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 Standard C++ Library Functions
• is a collection of pre-defined functions and
other program elements which are accessed
through header files.
• Its actual code is hidden away within the Standard
C++ Library.
• Example :
• the sqrt() function defined in <cmath>

User Defined Functions

The functions provided by the Standard C++ Library are
still not sufficient for most programming tasks.
Programmers also need to be able to define their own
functions. 4
 Syntax to create a function
type FunctionName( type Parameter1, type Parameter 2,…)
{
//Body of function goes here
}
Example: 1) int areaOfRectangle(int base, int height)
{
int area=base*height;
return area;
}
2) float cube(float x)
{
float cube=x*x*x;
return cube;
} 5
 Example
#include<iostream>
int AddTwoNumbers(); Function prototyping
using namespace std;
int main()
{
float x; Function calling
x=AddTwoNumbers();
cout<<“a+b=”<<x;
return 0;
Function definition
}
float AddTwoNumbers()
{
float a=2.87;
float b=7.75;
float c=a+b;
return c;
} 6
 Function Prototypes

• Before the compiler encounters a call to a particular

function, it must already know certain things about the
function.
• In particular, it must know the number of parameters the
function uses, the type of each parameter, and the
return type of the function.
• One way of ensuring that the compiler has this required
information is to place the function definition before all
calls to that function.
• Another method is to declare the function with a
function prototype.
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 Contd…
• E.g.
• float AddTwoNumbers();
• This prototype looks similar to the function
header, except there is a semicolon at the
end.
• Function prototypes are usually placed near
the top of a program so the compiler will
encounter them before any function calls.

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 Calling a Function
• A function is executed when it is called.
• Function main is called automatically when a
program starts, but all other functions must
be executed by function call statements.
• A function call is simply the name of the
function followed by a set of arguments
enclosed in parentheses and a semicolon.
• E.g.
x=AddTwoNumbers();

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 Function definition
• A function definition contains the statements
that make up the function.
• All function definitions have the following
parts:
• Return type ,Name, Parameter list and Body :

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 Contd… h as
#include <iostream> tio n
n i
int add( int a, int b); //function declaration or prototyping defi
ction
int main() , f un
e l le d
{ can c on
n is uncti
int a,b; ratio ain f
d e cla re m
cout<< "Enter Two integers " <<endl; : If e befo
.B
N om
cin>> a >> b; oc t
cout<< "The sum of "<< a << " and " << b << " is " << add( a , b ); // function call
return 0;
}
int add(int a , int b) // function definition
{
int sum;
sum=( a + b ); // Replace function call with sum
return sum;
}
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#include<iostream> prototype
using namespace std;
float AddTwoNumbers(float a, float b);
int main()
{
float n, m;
cout<<“Enter first number:”;
cin>>n;
cout<<“Enter second number:”;
cin>>m;
cout<<n<<“+”<<m<<“=”<<AddTwoNumbers( n, m );
return 0;
}
float AddTwoNumbers(float a, float b)
{
return a+b; definition
} 12
 Scope of variables
• Scope: is the portion of a program where an
identifier or a variable name can be used
»Function scope
»File scope
»Block scope
»Function-prototype scope (program
scope)

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14
 Example
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
int x=0;
for(int b=0;b<5;b++)
{
int k=15;
x+=b; ‘b’ & ‘k’ are accessible only
cout<<b; in this block
}
cout<<x;
cout<<b; ‘b’ & ‘k’ are not declared
cout <<k; in this scope
return 0;
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}
Argument passing By Argument passing By
Value Reference
We call function addition We call function addition
passing the values of x passing the references
and y ( 5 and 3 of x and y (that means
respectively), not the references of 5 and 3
variables themselves. respectively) ,not the
values.

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Example on Argument Passing by reference
//parameters passing by reference
#include<iostream>
int duplicate( int &a,int &b,int &c)
{
a*=2;
b*=2;
c*=2;
}
int main()
{
int x=1,y=3,z=7;
duplicate(x,y,z);
cout<<"x="<<x<<" "<<"y="<<y<<" "<<"z="<<z;
return 0;
}
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 Example on Argument Passing by value
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
int add(int number);
int main()
{
int number,result;
number=5;//enter a number
cout << " The initial value of number is " << number << endl;
result=add(number);
cout << " The final value of number is " << number << endl;
cout << " The result is : " << result << endl;
return(0);
}
int add(int number)
{
number=number+100;
return(number);
} 18
#include<iostream>//example two by reference
using namespace std;
int add(int &number);
int main ()
{
int number;
int result;
number=5;
cout << "The value of the variable number before calling the function : " << number <<
endl;
result=add(number);
cout << "The value of the variable number after the function is returned : " << number <<
endl;
cout << "The value of result : " << result << endl;
return(0);
}
int add(int &p)
{
p=p+100;
return p;
} 19
 Returning More than one value
//More than one returning value
#include<iostream.h>
void prevnext(int x,int &prev,int &next)
{
prev=x-1;
next=x+1;
}
int main()
{
int x=100,y,z;
prevnext(x,y,z);
cout<<“Previous=”<<y<<“,Next=”<<z;
return 0;
}
//out previous=99,next=101
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 Function Overloading
Means defining functions having the same name
but that take different parameters
#include<iostream.h>
int divide(int a,int b)
Function overloading
{
return (a/b);
Are functions with the same
} name having:
float divide(float a,float b)
{
Different number of
return(a/b); argument
}
 Different type of argument
int main() Both
{
int x=5,y=2; float n=5.0,m=2.0;
cout<<divide(x,y);
cout<<"\n";
cout<<divide(n,m);
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return 0;}
//illustrates overloading the function name ave.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
double ave(double n1, double n2);
double ave(double n1, double n2, double n3);
int main( ) {
cout << "The average of 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 is "<< ave(2.0, 2.5, 3.0) << endl;
cout << "The average of 4.5 and 5.5 is "<< ave(4.5, 5.5) << endl;
return 0;
}
double ave(double n1, double n2) Two argument
{
return ((n1 + n2)/2.0);
}
double ave(double n1, double n2, double n3) Three Argument
{
return ((n1 + n2 + n3)/3.0);
} 22
int addition (int a, int b)
int addition (int a, int b)
{
{
int r;
int r;
r=a+b;
r=a+b;
return (r);
return (r);
}
}
float addition (float a, float b)
int addition (int a, int b, int c)
{
{
float r;
int r;
r=a+b;
r=a+b+c;
return (r);
}
return (r);
int main ()
}
{
int main ()
int z; float y; {
z = addition (5,3); int z; float y;
y = addition (5.5,3); z = addition (5,3);
cout << "The result is " << y = addition (5,5,3);
z<<endl<<y; cout << "The result is " << z<<endl<<y;
return 0; return 0;
} }
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 Excercise
1. Suppose you have two function definitions with the following
declarations:
double score(double time, double distance);
int score(double points);
Which function definition would be used in the following function call and
why would it be the one used? (x is of type double.)
double finalScore = score(x);

2. Suppose you have two function definitions with the following

declarations:
double theAnswer(double data1, double data2);
double theAnswer(double time, int count);
Which function definition would be used in the following function call and
why would it be the one used? (x and y are of type double.)
x = theAnswer(y, 6.0);
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 Default values in arguments
#include<iostream.h> N.B
int divide(int a, int b=2)
{ • Though the 2nd parameter
int r; is not specified when
r=a/b;
return(r);
calling function “divide”
} it takes the 2nd value of
int main() divide function that is
{
cout<<divide(12);//6 found @ function
cout<<endl; prototyping i.e. the default
cout<<divide(20,4);//5
return 0;
value in argument.
}
//out put 6 and 5
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include <iostream>
Using namespace std;
void showVolume(int length, int width = 1, int height = 1);
int main( )
{
showVolume(4, 6, 2);
showVolume(4, 6);
showVolume(4);
return 0;
}
void showVolume(int length, int width, int height)
{
cout << "Volume of a box with \n“
<< "Length = " << length << ", Width = " << width << endl<<
"and Height = " << height<<
" is " << length*width*height << endl;
} 26
Recursive functions:
• Is Function that calls themselves.
Example 6
long factorial(long n)
{
if(n==0)return 1;
else
return n*factorial(n-1);
}
Or
int Factorial (unsigned int n)
{
return n == 0 ? 1: n * Factorial (n-1);
}
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Void main()
{
int n;
cout<<”enter a +ve number:”;
cin>>n;
cout<<”the factorial of
”<<n<<”is”<<factorial(n);
}

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 Recursively
• //factorial calculator
#include<iostream.h>
long factorial (long a)
{
if(a>1)
return (a* factorial(a-1));
else
return 1;
}
int main()
{
long l;
cout<<"Type a number:";
cin>>l;
cout<<"!"<<l<<"="<<factorial(l);
return 0;
} 29
 Inline Function
• If a function is inline, the compiler places a copy of
the code of that function at each point where the
function is called at compile time.
• To inline a function, place the keyword inline before
the function name and define the function before any
calls are made to the function.

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Passing array as argument to a function
 We pass both array and its size to a
function.
 Array are passed as reference variable
without (&)
Example.
double read(int a[],int size);
 When we call function with array parameter
we simply pass array name and size.
read(a,size);
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 // the use of function prototype
#include<iostream.h>
int area(int length,int width);
int main()
{
int l;
int w;
int areaofrect;
cout<<"enter lenth of the rectangle:";
cin>>l;
cout<<"Enter width of the rectangle:";
cin>>w;
areaofrect=area(2,10);
cout<<"Area of the rectangle:"<<areaofrect<<endl;
return 0;
}
int area( int l,int w)
{
return l*w;
} 32
#include<iostream.h>
int Volume(int length,int width=5,int height=1);
int main()
{
int length=2,width=2,height=3;
int volume;
volume = Volume(length, width, height);
cout<<"First area equals:"<<volume<<"\n";//12
volume = Volume(length, width);
cout<<"second area equals:"<<volume<<"\n";//4
volume= Volume(length);//
cout<<"Third area equals:"<<volume<<"\n";
return 0;
}
Int Volume(int length, int width, int height)
{
return(length * width * height);
}

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