Week# 11
Functions
Dr Taimur Ahmed
Department of IT & CS, PAF-IAST
Lecture# 29
Library Functions & User defined Functions
Why do we need Functions?
Modular Programming
Modular Programming
❑ Modular Programming:
❑ Breaking a program into small, manageable modules
❑ Function:
❑ A collection of statements to perform a task
❑ Motivation for modular programming
➢ Simplifies the process of writing programs
➢ Improves maintainability of programs
➢ Helps programmer to understand purpose of each module in the program
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Modular Programming
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Type of Functions
❑ Two types of functions
1. Library/standard functions
2. User defined functions
❑ Library/standard Functions
❑ Already defined in the header files
❑ User defined Functions
➢ Programmers can define any functions to perform specific tasks
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Defining and Calling Functions
❑ Function Call:
➢ A statement is used to call the function
❑ Function definition:
➢ Statements that are written in the body of a function
Function header
int main()
{
Function
cout << “Hello! << endl; definition
return 0;
}
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Function header
❑ Function header contains data type it returns, name of the function and
arguments/parameters list enclosed in ( )
Function header
int main()
{
cout << “Hello! << endl; Function
definition
return 0;
}
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Function definition
❑ Function name: should follow same rules as variables
❑ Body of the function: statements enclosed by { } that perform set of
tasks.
❑ Body of a function can call other functions too.
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Function Return Type
❑ If a function returns a value, the type of the value must be indicated:
int main()
❑ If a function does not return a value, its return type is void:
void printHeading()
{
cout << "Monthly Sales\n";
}
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Calling a Function
❑ To call a function, use the function name followed by ( ) and ;
printHeading();
❑ When called, program executes the body of the called function
❑ After the function terminates, execution resumes in the calling function at
point of call.
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Example of Function
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Flow of Control in Calling a Function
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Calling a Function
❑ main can call any number of functions
❑ Functions can call other functions
❑ Compiler must know the following about a function before it is called:
➢ name
➢ return type
➢ number of parameters
➢ data type of each parameter
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Function Prototypes
Function Prototypes
What is the output of this
program?
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Function Prototypes
What is the output of this
program?
[Error] ‘displayMessage’ was
not declared in this scope
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Function Prototypes
❑ Before a function is called, complier should be notified that our code will
use a function or multiple functions
❑ Place function declaration before calling function’s definition – like the
function definition without the body
➢ Function Header: void displayMessage ()
➢ Prototype: void displayMessage();
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Function Prototypes
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