LECTURE NOTES / LAB HANDOUTS
PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS (320-321) WEEK. 10
OBJECT: To understand functions in C++ along with function declaration, definition and calling of
function. To understand function return type and parameters.
FUNCTIONS
A function is a group of statements that together perform a task. Every C++ program has at least one function,
which is main(), and all the most trivial programs can define additional functions.
You can divide up your code into separate functions. How you divide up your code among different functions
is up to you, but logically the division usually is such that each function performs a specific task. Function
provides following benefits:
• Provides reusability as we can use a function multiple times
• Make code organized and increase readability of a program as when the code increases is always
difficult to read.
• Decrease the length of code
• If there is a bug in the code it can be detected easily when we divided the code in function according
to tasks, thus provides maintainability
1. Declaring a function or Prototype:
A function declaration tells the compiler about a function's name, return type, and parameters. The
general structure of a function declaration is as follows:
return_type function_name( Parameter List );
2. Defining a function:
A function definition provides the actual body of the function. The general form of a C++ function
definition is as follows:
return_type function_name( parameter list ) {
body of the function
}
A function definition consists of a function header and a function body.
Return Type: A function may return a value. The return_type is the data type of the value the function
returns. Some functions perform the desired operations without returning a value. In this case, the
return_type is the keyword void.
Function Name: This is the actual name of the function.
Signature: The function name and the parameter list together constitute the function signature.
Parameters: A parameter is like a placeholder. When a function is invoked, you pass a value to the
parameter. This value is referred to as actual parameter or argument. The parameter list refers to the
type, order, and number of the parameters of a function. Parameters are optional; that is, a function
may contain no parameters.
Function Body: The function body contains a collection of statements that define what the function
does.
Course Instructor: Nazish Basir Page: 1/7
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Sindh.
LECTURE NOTES / LAB HANDOUTS
PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS (320-321) WEEK. 10
3. Calling a function:
To use a function, you will have to call or invoke that function. When a program calls a function, program
control is transferred to the called function. A called function performs defined task and when it’s return
statement is executed or when its function-ending closing brace is reached, it returns program control
back to the main program.
To call a function, you simply need to pass the required parameters along with function name, and if
function returns a value, then you can store returned value. For example:
return_type = function_name(arguments);
Course Instructor: Nazish Basir Page: 2/7
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Sindh.
LECTURE NOTES / LAB HANDOUTS
PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS (320-321) WEEK. 10
PROGRAM 1: Demonstrates a simple function
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void starline(); //function declaration (prototype)
int main()
{
starline(); //call to function
cout << “Data type Range” << endl;
starline(); //call to function
cout << “char -128 to 127” << endl
<< “short -32,768 to 32,767” << endl
<< “int System dependent” << endl
<< “long -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647” << endl;
starline(); //call to function
return 0;
}
// function definition
void starline() //function declarator
{
for(int j=0; j<45; j++) //function body
cout << ‘*’;
cout << endl;
}
PROGRAM 2: Demonstrates a function which takes arguments
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void repchar(char, int); //function declaration
int main()
{
repchar(‘-’, 43); //call to function
cout << “Data type Range” << endl;
repchar(‘=’, 23); //call to function
cout << “char -128 to 127” << endl
<< “short -32,768 to 32,767” << endl
<< “int System dependent” << endl
<< “double -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647” << endl;
repchar(‘-’, 43); //call to function
return 0;
}
void repchar(char ch, int n) //function declarator
{
for(int j=0; j<n; j++) //function body
cout << ch;
cout << endl;
}
Course Instructor: Nazish Basir Page: 3/7
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Sindh.
LECTURE NOTES / LAB HANDOUTS
PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS (320-321) WEEK. 10
PROGRAM 3: Passing variable and expression to a function. Demonstrates function definition
preceding function calls eliminating declaration.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void repchar(char ch, int n) {
for(int j=0; j<n; j++) //function body
cout << ch;
cout << endl;
}
int main() {
for (int a = 180; a<=190 ; a++)
repchar(a, a-179);
return 0;
}
PROGRAM 4: Demonstrate a function which return value.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
float lbstokg(float);
int main() {
float lbs, kgs;
cout << "\nEnter your weight in pounds: ";
cin >> lbs;
kgs = lbstokg(lbs);
cout << "Your weight in kilograms is " << kgs << endl;
return 0;
}
float lbstokg(float pounds) { // converts pounds to kilograms
float kilograms = 0.453592 * pounds;
return kilograms;
}
PROGRAM 5: Demonstrate a function preceding main which return value and eliminates
unnecessary variables.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
float lbstokg(float pounds) {
return 0.453592 * pounds;
}
int main() {
float lbs;
cout << “\nEnter your weight in pounds: “;
cin >> lbs;
cout << “Your weight in kilograms is “ << lbstokg(lbs)<< endl;
return 0;
}
Course Instructor: Nazish Basir Page: 4/7
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Sindh.
LECTURE NOTES / LAB HANDOUTS
PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS (320-321) WEEK. 10
PROGRAM 6: Demonstrate that return statement can come anywhere in function.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void printNumberIfEven(int num)
{
if (num % 2 == 1) {
return;
}
cout << "even number; number is " << num << endl;
}
int main() {
int x;
cout<<"Enter a number:";
cin>>x;
printNumberIfEven(x);
return 0;
}
PROGRAM 7: Demonstrate power function.
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
long raiseToPower(int base, int exp) {
int result = 1;
for (int i = 0; i < exp; i++) {
result = result * base;
}
return result;
}
int main() {
int b,ex;
cout<<"Enter Base:";
cin>>b;
cout<<"Enter Power:";
cin>>ex;
cout << b << " ^ " << ex << " = "
<< raiseToPower(b,ex);
return 0;
}
Course Instructor: Nazish Basir Page: 5/7
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Sindh.
LECTURE NOTES / LAB HANDOUTS
PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS (320-321) WEEK. 10
PASSING ARRAYS TO FUNCTIONS
Arrays can be used as arguments to functions. In a function declaration, array arguments are
represented by the data type and size of the array. For Example:
void somefunc( int elem[5] );
void display(char[3][3]);
You can also write declaration without size:
void somefunc( int elem[] );
Function doesn’t need the size of the first dimension as two dimensional array is an array of arrays. It
doesn’t need to know how many elements there are, but it does need to know how big each element
is. Far Example:
void display(char[][3]);
PROGRAM 8: Demonstrates a double dimensional array by creating a board for tic-tac-toe by using
a function which is taking array as an argument.
#include<iostream>
#include<conio.h>
using namespace std;
void display(char[3][3]);
int main(){
char arr[3][3]={{' ',' ',' '},
{' ',' ',' '},
{' ',' ',' '}};
for (int i=0 ; i<3 ; i++)
for (int j=0 ; j<3 ; j++)
{
display(arr);
cout<<"Please Enter X or O";
cin>>arr[i][j];
system("cls");
}
}
void display(char a[3][3])
{
cout<<"\n\n\n -----------\n";
for (int i=0 ; i<3 ; i++){
for (int j=0 ; j<3 ; j++)
cout<<" | "<<a[i][j];
cout<<" |\n -----------\n\n";
}
}
Course Instructor: Nazish Basir Page: 6/7
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Sindh.
LECTURE NOTES / LAB HANDOUTS
PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS (320-321) WEEK. 10
Exercise 1:
Write a program which contain a user define function to convert the temperature from Fahrenheit to
degree Celsius. The function should take one argument and return one value. Take the value of
Fahrenheit from user and the program should give the value in Celsius.
Use the formula: C = (F - 32) × 5/9
Enter Temperature in Fahrenheit: 100
Temperature in Celsius is: 37.7778
Exercise 2:
Write a function called hms_to_secs() that takes three int values—for hours, minutes, and seconds—
as arguments, and returns the equivalent time in seconds (type long). Create a program that uses this
function by obtaining a time value in hours, minutes, and seconds from the user (format 24:59:59),
calling the function, and displaying the value of seconds it returns. If user enters hour value greater
than 24 or minuets or second value greater than 60 the program should again ask for the values.
Enter Hours: 2
Enter Min: 23
Enter Sec: 12
The Value in Seconds is: 8592
Exiting Program
Enter Hours: 12
Enter Min: 70
Wrong Value Renter
Enter Hours: 1
Enter Min: 20
Enter Sec: 44
The Value in Seconds is: 4844
Exiting Program
Exercise 3:
Write a function called reversit() that reverses a C-string (an array of char). Use a for loop that swaps
the first and last characters, then the second and next-to-last characters, and so on. The string should
be passed to reversit() as an argument. Write a program to exercise reversit(). The program should
get a string from the user, call reversit(), and print out the result. Use an input method that allows
embedded blanks. Test the program with Napoleon’s famous phrase, “Able was I ere I saw Elba.”
Enter a String: welcome all
Reversed: lla emoclew
Course Instructor: Nazish Basir Page: 7/7
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Sindh.