Functions

What is a Function?
A function is a block of code that performs a
particular task.
A function can be called from the same or
another function whenever required. Hence we
can avoid rewriting the same code. It also
improves the readability of the program.
Function may take some input in the form of
parameters and sent out some output in the form
of return value.

Example1: function without argument and return type

/* Using function :program to determine

if an integer greater than 100 entered
by the user is a prime number */
int num;
main(){
num is declared as global variable so that
it is accessible by all the functions.
while(1){
printf("enter an integer greater than
100 ");
scanf("%d",&num);
if(num<100) continue;
printprime();
break;}}
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primef1.c

printprime()
{
int j,i,flag=1;
j=num/2;
for (i=2;i<=j;i++){
if(num%i==0){
flag=0;
printf("Not prime");
break;
}
}
if (flag) printf("Prime number");
}
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Return value
Some compiler throws a warnings if function does

not return a integer value.

A function must either return a value or must be

declared as void.

Function declaration
return_type function_name(argument-list)
Where argument-list is
Data-type var-name1, Data-type varname2, Data-type var-nameN
If return_type is not specified it is assumed to be
an int.
argument-list can contain 0 one or more
arguments.
function_name must be unique. It should not
clash with any variable name or other function name.
Variables declared inside the function and the
argument-list variables are local to the function. They
cannot be accessed outside the function.
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return
The return statement is used to return a value from a

function.
When return is encountered the control go back to the calling

function.
Example:
return (a);
return (15);
return 0;
return;

Used with void. Does not return anything!

Prototyping
Complier assumes that any C function would
return a type int.
Any function that returns types other than int
must inform the compiler by what is called
prototyping.
Prototyping is declaring the function that needs
to be called within the calling function.
Note that declaration of a function is different
from definition of a function.

Changing the prime number code

int num;
primef3.c
int main(){
Declaring the called function in the
void pprime();
calling function since called function
while(1){
returns void.
printf("enter an integer greater than
100 ");
scanf("%d",&num);
if(num<100) continue;
pprime();
break;
}
return 0}
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void pprime()
{
int j,i,flag=1;
j=num/2;

Defining the called function

for (i=2;i<=j;i++){
if(num%i==0){
flag=0;
printf("Not prime");
break;
}
}
if (flag) printf("Prime number");
return;
optional
}

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Function with parameters

It is possible for the calling function to pass
values into the called function through what is
called parameters or arguments.

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Example of function with parameters

/* program that has a function which

calulates the gross salary given the
basic salary*/
main(){
double basic,gross;
double calculateGross(double basic);
printf("enter basic salary ");
scanf("%lf",&basic);
gross= calculateGross(basic);
printf("Gross=%lf",gross);
}

gross.c
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double calculateGross(double basic){

double hra,ta,da, gross;
da=0.5 * basic;
hra=0.1 *basic;
if(basic<10000)
ta=1000;
else
if(basic>=10000 && basic<20000)
ta=2000;
else
ta=3000;
gross=basic+hra+ta+da;
return gross;
}

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Without static variable

Suppose we attempt to write a code that prints the
number of times a function is called.
main(){
void callMe();
count1.c
callMe();
callMe();}
void callMe(){
int count;
count++;
printf("you called me %d times\n" ,
count);}
When we execute the following code it prints
garbage value for count because count is not
initialized.
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 If we initialize count to 0 then print you

called me 1 times three times.
main(){
void callMe();
callMe(); callMe();
callMe();}
void callMe(){
int count=0;
count++;
printf("you called me %d times\n" ,
count);}
This is because the value of count gets
initialized each time the function is called.
What we want is a way in which count value can
be retained.
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static variable
Solution to this is to declare the count variable
as static variable.
Static variables are automatically initialized the
first time to 0.
It retains the value between the function calls

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Count example corrected

main(){
void callMe();
callMe();
Prints:
callMe();
you called
callMe();
you called
}
void callMe(){
you called
static int count;
count++;
printf("you called me %d times\n"
}

me 1 times
me 2 times
me 3 times
, count);

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Revisiting Storage class specifiers

static local:

scope: variables declared and accessed only inside block

default:0

Retains the value between function calls

static keyword is specified with declaration

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Call by value
void main(){
void f(int i,int j);
int i=0, j=0;
printf("Before calling f(): value of i=
%d and value of j=%d\n", i,j);
f(i,j);
printf("After calling f(): value of i=
%d and value of j=%d\n", i,j);
}
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void f(int i,int j){

printf("In f() before changing : value of i=%d
and value of j=%d\n", i,j);
i++;
j++;
printf("In f() after changing: value of i=%d
and value of j=%d\n", i,j);
}
Result of execution
Before calling f(): value of i=0 and value of j=0
In f() before changing : value of i=0 and value of j=0
In f() after changing: value of i=1 and value of j=1
After calling f(): value of i=0 and value of j=0
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Observation
What do you observe?
The parameter values changed in the called
function code are not reflected in the calling
function.
This is because the parameters are passed by
value to the function.
Both functions have their own copy of the
variables. Only the values of the variables of the
calling function get copied to the variables of the
called function
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Address

main()
i
j

1000
1001
1002

Call f(0,0)

1003

i
j

1004

f()
i
j
i++;
j++;
i
j

0
0
0

1005

MEMORY
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main()
i=0

1000

j=0

1001

Value of i and j
in 1000 and
1001 remain
the same!

i=1
Calls

j=1

f()
i=0

2000

j=0

2001

i++;
j++;
In memory

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Call by reference

What should be done so that the changed

values of i and j are reflected in the calling
function?
There should be some way in which we pass
the addresses of the variables of i and j from
the calling function to the called function.
The called function should receive these
variables in a way such that they point to values
rather than just receiving the values.

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Call by reference cont

&variable-name represents the address of the
variable.
Address of a variable is of integer type.
We need a special kind of variable that is
capable of holding an address and using which
we can retrieve the value stored in the address.
Such a kind of variable is called a Pointer .
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Introduction to pointers
A pointer is a variable that holds an address of a variable in
memory and using this pointer we can access the value stored
in that location.
Declaration:
Data-type *variable_name;
Data-type in the above syntax represents what type of data the
pointer points to.
Example:
double i=10;
double *p=&i;

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Getting the address and value

*variable-name returns the value stored in the

address that variable-name points to.

variable-name returns the address value.
Example:

double i=10;
double *p=&i;
printf(%lf,*p);
printf(%d,p);

Prints 10
Prints the address
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point.c

Question ?
?

The data-type of a pointer variable is always integer.

Then what is the significance of specifying data-type
in the declaration syntax?

It is important to specify the appropriate data-type in the

syntax if you want to use pointer arithmetic.
You can use ++ and operators on the pointer which
allows pointer to jump to next location. Whether the
jump has to be 1 byte , 2 bytes , 4 bytes, 8 bytes or 10
bytes is determined by the data-type of the pointer.
More details on it in the pointers part
of the C story.
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Call by reference
/* program : call by value demo */
void main(){
void f(int *i,int *j);
int i=0, j=0;
printf("Before calling f(): value of i=
%d and value of j=%d\n", i,j);
f(&i,&j);
printf("After calling f(): value of i=
%d and value of j=%d\n", i,j);
}

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void f(int *i,int *j)

{
printf("In f() before changing : value
of i=%d and value of j=%d\n", *i,*j);
*i++; (*i)++;
*j++; (*j)++;
printf("In f() after changing: value of
i=%d and value of j=%d\n", *i,*j);
}
Do you see any problem with the code ?
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Recursion
A function that calls itself is a recursive function.
It is very important that a recursive function has an
exit point. Otherwise it will get into infinite loop .
int i;
main(){
f();}
int f(){
f();
}
Without termination
condition : infinite loop

int i;
main(){
f();}
int f(){
i++;
if(i>5) return ;
f();} Termination
condition
specified.
Executes
successfully.

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Prime number using recursion

/* prime number using recursion */
int num,k;
main(){
printf("enter an integer ");
scanf("%d",&num);
/* do the checks on num before calling
the function */
k=prime(2);
if(k==0)
printf("not prime");
else
printf("prime");
}
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int prime(int i){

if(num%i==0) return 0;
i++;
if(i>num/2) return 1;
else
prime(i);
}

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Flow
Assume num=9
prime(2) 1 {if(num%i==0) return 0; 9%2!=0
i++;2++ 3
if(i>num/2) return 1;3>(9/2) No!
Return value: 0
else
4
prime(i); prime(3)
}
2

Return value: 0

{if(num%i==0) return 0; 9%3

i++;
if(i>num/2) return 1;
else
prime(i);}
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Fibonacci numbers
Non-recursive
main(){
int f1=0,f2=1,f3,i;
printf("%d, %d,",
f1,f2);
for(i=0;i<8;i++)
{
f3=f1+f2;
f1=f2;
f2=f3;
printf("%d,", f2);
}
}
fib.c

Recursive

main(){
void fibo(int f1, int f2);
int f1=0,f2=1,f3,i;
printf("%d, %d,", f1,f2);
fibo(f1,f2);
}
void fibo(int f1, int f2){
static int count;
Termination condition
int f3;
if(count>8) return;
f3=f1+f2;
f1=f2; f2=f3;
printf("%d,", f2);
count++;
fibr.c
fibo(f1,f2);}
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Use of recursion
Recursive programs sometime seem rather difficult in

comparison to non-recursive ones.

But in some cases it is actually easier to use recursion.
For example in cases where you have a mathematical

formula based on iterative value of n.

For example- factorial value of n.
Mathematical formula:
FIB(N+1)=FIB(N)+F(N-1)
fact(n)= n*fact(n-1) for all n<1
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Recursive code
main(){
int num, res;
printf("enter a number");
scanf("%d",&num);
res=fact(num);
printf("%d",res);
}
int fact(int n){
int f;
if(n==1) return 1;
f=n*fact(n-1);
return f;
}

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Flow
num=3
fact(3)

Return 6

{int f;
if(n==1) return 1; n=3
Return 2
f=n*fact(n-1); 3*fact(2)
return f;}
{int f;
if(n==1) return 1; n=2
f=n*fact(n-1); 2*fact(1)
return f;}
{
int f;
if(n==1) return 1; n=1
f=n*fact(n-1);
return f;}

Return 1
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Word of caution!
Recursive code may be difficult to understand
and debug. Hence it should be used only in
places where it makes the overall program
simpler.
Recursive code adds to overhead of multiple
function calls.

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Did we completely understand functions?

Did we come across any of the

predefined functions in C so far?
scanf
printf

How many arguments does

printf take?
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