Introduction to Computing

Lecture 08:
Functions (Part I)

Assist.Prof.Dr. Nükhet ÖZBEK

Ege University
Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering
nukhet.ozbek@ege.edu.tr
Topics

• Uses of functions
• Functions
• Parameters
• Return values
Uses of functions

• Top-Down design or divide-and-conquer

– It is easier to solve multiple smaller problems
instead of one big problem
Top-down design
• Suppose, we want to list parts of an automobile
– Automobile self starter
– Bench seat
– Brakes
– Bumper
– Buzzer
– Car battery
– Car doors
– Stop lamp
– Clutch
– Dashboard
– Exhaust pipe
– Fuel pump
– Grille
– Headlight
– Muffler
– Odometer
– …
Top-down design
• It is easier to first divide the problem into
sub problems:
– Chassis
– Motor parts
– Electronic parts
–…
• and then, list the parts under sub
categories
Uses of functions

• Top-Down design or divide-and-conquer

– It is easier to solve multiple smaller problems
instead of one big problem
– It is easier to debug sub problems
• In case of an error, it is easy to isolate the
problem to a specific section of code (a specific
function)
Uses of functions

• Top-Down design or divide-and-conquer

– It is easier to solve multiple smaller problems
instead of one big problem
– It is easier to debug sub problems
– A team of programmers can work on different
sub problems and join sub problems later to
form the solution
Uses of functions

• Top-Down design or divide-and-conquer

– It is easier to solve multiple smaller problems
instead of one big problem
– It is easier to debug sub problems
– A team of programmers can work on different
sub problems and join sub problems later to
form the solution
• Code reuse
Code reuse

• Suppose we want to find ab and cd

power1 = 1;
for (count = b ; count > 0 ; count--)
power1 *= a;
power2 = 1;
for (count = d ; count > 0 ; count--)
power2 *= c;
Code reuse
• Suppose we want to find ab and cd
power1 = power(a,b);
power2 = power(c,d);
• No need to write the same code each time if we
use functions
• We can also use this function in another
program, either simply by copy-paste or adding
it to a user defined library as we will see later
User-Defined Functions

• Can create your own functions, similar to

printf() or sqrt()
• Implements the subroutine/ procedure/
module/ function definitions of an
algorithm
Writing User-defined Functions
• Need to specify:
– the name of the function
– its parameters (input arguments)
– what it returns (output arguments)
– block of statements to be carried out when
the function is called
• The block of statements is called the
“function body”
Writing User-defined Functions

type-specifier function_name(parameter list)

{
body of function
}
• type-specifier is the type of value the function
returns using the return statement
– Can be any valid type
– If no type specified, assumes int
– Can be void -> does not return anything
Example: hello1.c

Prints a simple greeting.

procedure sayHello
{
output “Hello World!”
}

Main Program
{

do procedure sayHello

}
Example: hello1.c #include <stdio.h>

/*
Prints a simple greeting. * Print a simple greeting.
*/

void sayHello ( void )

procedure sayHello {
{
printf(“Hello World!\n”);
output “Hello World!”
} }

/*
* Call a function which prints a
* simple greeting.
*/

int main()
Main Program
{ {

do procedure sayHello sayHello();

return 0;
} }
Example: hello1.c #include <stdio.h>

/*
* Print a simple greeting.
*/

void sayHello ( void )

Function {
definition }
printf(“Hello World!\n”);

/*
* Call a function which prints a
* simple greeting.
*/

int main()
{

Function call sayHello();

return 0;
}
Example: hello1.c #include <stdio.h>

/*
Function * Print a simple greeting.
*/
name
void sayHello ( void )
{
Function body printf(“Hello World!\n”);
}

/*
* Call a function which prints a
* simple greeting.
*/

int main()
{

sayHello();

return 0;
}
Example: hello1.c #include <stdio.h>

/*
Return type * Print a simple greeting.
*/

void sayHello ( void )

{
printf(“Hello World!\n”);
}

/*
Formal * Call a function which prints a
* simple greeting.
Parameter List */

int main()
{

sayHello();

return 0;
}
Parameters
• Information passed to a function
• “Formal” parameters are local variables
declared in the function declaration
• “Actual” parameters are variables or
values passed to the function when it is
called
Example:
badsort.c

/* Print two numbers in order. */

void badSort ( int a, int b )

{

if ( a > b )
{
printf("%d %d\n", b, a);
Parameters (aka
} Arguments)
else
{
printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
}
}
Example: badsort2.c

/* Print two numbers in order. */

void badSort ( a, b )
int a; Old style.
int b;
{

if ( a > b )
{
printf("%d %d\n", b, a);
}
else
{
printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
}
}
Example:
badsort.c

/* Print two numbers in order. */

void badSort ( int a, int b )

{

if ( a > b )
{
printf("%d %d\n", b, a);
}
else
{
printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
}
}
Example:
badsort.c Formal
parameters
/* Print two numbers in order. */

void badSort ( int a, int b )

{ Actual
if ( a > b ) parameters
{
printf("%d %d\n", b, a);
}
else int main()
{ {
printf("%d %d\n", a, b); int x = 3, y = 5;
}
} badSort ( 10, 9 );
badSort ( y, x + 4 );
return 0;
}
Parameters (cont.)

• Parameters are passed by copying the

value of the actual parameters to the
formal parameters
• Changes to formal parameters do not
affect the value of the actual parameters
• This type of function call is called call-by-
value
Example: badswap.c
int main()
/* Swap the values of two variables. */ {
int a = 3, b = 5;
void badSwap ( int a, int b )
{ printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
int temp; badSwap ( a, b );
printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
temp = a;
a = b; return 0;
b = temp; }

printf("%d %d\n", a, b);

}
Example: badswap.c
int main()
/* Swap the values of two variables. */ {
int a = 3, b = 5;
void badSwap ( int a, int b )
{ printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
int temp; badSwap ( a, b );
printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
temp = a;
a = b; return 0;
b = temp; }

printf("%d %d\n", a, b);

}

Output: 3 5
Example: badswap.c
int main()
/* Swap the values of two variables. */ {
int a = 3, b = 5;
void badSwap ( int a, int b )
{ printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
int temp; badSwap ( a, b );
printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
temp = a;
a = b; return 0;
b = temp; }

printf("%d %d\n", a, b);

}

Output: 3 5
5 3
Example: badswap.c
int main()
/* Swap the values of two variables. */ {
int a = 3, b = 5;
void badSwap ( int a, int b )
{ printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
int temp; badSwap ( a, b );
printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
temp = a;
a = b; return 0;
b = temp; }

printf("%d %d\n", a, b);

}

Output: 3 5
5 3
3 5
Example: badswap.c
int main()
/* Swap the values of two variables. */ {
int a = 3, b = 5;
void badSwap ( int a, int b )
{ printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
int temp; badSwap ( a, b );
printf("%d %d\n", a, b);
temp = a;
a = b; return 0;
b = temp; }

printf("%d %d\n", a, b);

}

Called function’s Calling function’s

environment: environment:
a: 5 a: 3
b: 3 b: 5
Parameters (cont.)
• If a function does not take parameters,
declare its formal argument list void or
do not write anything.
void sayHello ( void )
{
Declaration: printf(“Hello World!\n”);
}

void sayHello ()
{
Also valid: printf(“Hello World!\n”);
}

Function call: sayHello();

Parameters (cont.)

• The number of actual arguments used in a

call to a function must be the same as the
number of formal parameters listed in the
function definition
• The order of arguments in the lists
determines correspondence. The first
actual argument corresponds to the first
formal parameter, and so on.
Parameters (cont.)

• Each actual argument must be of a data

type that can be assigned to the
corresponding formal parameter
Functions – “Do”s and “Don’t”s
• DO use a function name that describes the
purpose of the function
• DON'T pass values to a function that it doesn't
need
• DON'T try to pass fewer (or more) arguments
to a function than there are parameters. In C
programs, the number of arguments passed
must match the number of parameters
Return from a Function

• When the last statement is executed

void sayHello ( void )
{
printf(“Hello World!\n”);
}

• When a return statement is encountered

int max (int a, int b)
{
if(a>b) return a; Notice there can be
return b;
} multiple return
statements
Return Values

• Values are returned by copying a value

specified after the return keyword
• All functions, except those of type void,
return a value
Example:
maxmin.c
Return type /* Returns the larger of two numbers. */

int max (int a, int b)

{
int result;

if (a > b)
{
result = a;
}
else
{
result = b;
}

return result;
}
Example:
maxmin.c
/* Returns the larger of two numbers. */

int max (int a, int b)

{
int result;
For example:
if (a > b)
{
result = a; The value of the
}
else
expression
{
result = b; max(7,5)
}

return result;
is the integer 7.
}
Example:
maxmin.c
This style okay. /* Returns the larger of two numbers. */

int
max (int a, int b)
{
int result;

if (a > b)
{
result = a;
}
else
{
result = b;
}

return result;
}
Example:
maxmin.c

/* Returns the larger of two numbers. */

Version 2:
int max (int a, int b)
{
if (a > b)
{
return a;
}
else
{
return b;
}
}
Example:
maxmin.c

/* Returns the larger of two numbers. */

Version 3:
int max (int a, int b)
{
if (a > b)
{
b = a;
}

return b;
}

Note:
Changing the value of b does not
affect the actual parameter in the
function call.
Example:
maxmin.c
#include <stdio.h>
/* Returns the smaller of two numbers. */
/* Returns the larger of two numbers. */
int min (int a, int b)
int max (int a, int b) {
{ if (a < b)
if (a > b) {
{ return a;
return a; }
} else
else {
{ return b;
return b; }
} }
}

int main()
{
int maxOfMins = max(min(1,2), min(3,4));
Or you can write
printf("%d\n",
printf("%d\n", maxOfMins);
max(min(1,2), min(3,4)));

return 0;
}
Return Values (cont.)

• If a function does not return a value,

declare its return type as void

Declaration: void sayHello ( void )

{
printf(“Hello World!\n”);
}

Function call: sayHello();

Return Values (cont.)

• As long as a function is not declared as

void, it can be used as an operand in any
valid C expression
– x = power(y);
– if(max(x,y) > 100) printf(“greater”);
Return Values (cont.)
• However, a function can not be the target
of an assignment
– swap(x,y) = 100; /* incorrect statement */
• A function declared as void can not be
used in any expression
void f();
...
t = f(); /* incorrect */
Return Values (cont.)

• If you do not assign the return value of

a function it is lost
int multiply(int a, int b);
int main()
{
x = multiply(5,4);
printf(“%d”, multiply(2,3));
multiply(8,3); /* lost */
}
Functions – “Do”s and “Don’t”s
• DON'T try to return a value that has a type
different from the function's type
• DON'T let functions get too long. If a function
starts getting long, try to break it into separate,
smaller tasks
• DO limit each function to a single task
• DON'T have multiple return statements if they
aren't needed. You should try to have one return
when possible; however, sometimes having
multiple return statements is easier and clearer