
In fact it places received value in memory location of the variable used in function. For example scanf function uses this method to be able to receive values from console keyboard and put it in a variable. This method is used in some of standard functions in C. In above command ptr variable will contain memory address of variable m. For example if m is a variable of type int then &m will give us the starting memory address of our variable.We call this resulting address a pointer. In C programming language & operator gives the address at which the variable is stored. To be able to modify the value of a variable used as an argument in a function, function needs to know memory address of the variable (where exactly the variable is situated in memory). Printf("\nModifying the value inside memory address%ld",&m) We will first see an example and then we will describe it. This second method enables function to modify value of argument variables used in function call. There is another method of sending variables being called "Call by reference". This is why we call this method of calling "call by value". Actuallyit places value of variable m in a memory location called stack and then function retrieves the value without having access to main variable itself. This s is because function-calling method only sends value of variable m to the function and it does not send variable itself. So you see function call has not changed the value of argument. We want to see if function call is able to change value of m as we have modified value of incoming parameter inside test() function. In main() function, we have declared a variable m. Following example will show you how you can do this. In fact you can use more than one argument in a function. Possibly Following figure would make things a bit clearer. I hope you agree that it’s difficult to visualize how the control flows from one function call to another. What happens is, rec(5) returns(5 * rec(4),įoxed? Well, that is recursion for you in its simplest garbs. Let us understand this recursive factorial function. These input parameter variablesĬan then be used in function body. Function argumentsįunctions are able to accept input parameters in the form of variables. What is important is that these functions perform some logically isolated task. Don’t hesitate to write functions that are called only once. Instead, break a program into small units and write functions for each of these isolated subdivisions. What is the moral of the story? Don’t try to cram the entire logic in one function.
Built in functions in basic programming language code#
Separating the code into modular functions also makes the program easier to design and understand. If the operation of a program can be divided into separate activities, and each activity placed in a different function, then each could be written and checked more or less independently. Using functions it becomes easier to write programs and keep track of what they are doing.Writing functions avoids rewriting the same code over and over.Logic into one function, main()? Two reasons: Why write separate functions at all? Why not squeeze the entire When main() runs out of function calls, the program ends. After each function has done its thing, control returns to main().Each function in a program is called in the sequence specified by the function calls in main().There is no limit on the number of functions that might be present in a C program.If a C program contains more than one function, then one (and only one) of these functions must be main(), because program execution always begins with main().If a program contains only one function, it must be main().Any C program contains at least one function.Introducing a function is being called function prototype. In some C compilers we are needed to introduce the functions we are creating in a program above the program. A function can even call itself.īy the way pay attention to function prototypes section. After creating a function we can call it using its name. Function body can be very complex though. In above example we have put a section of program in a separate function. Example below shows how we can write a simple function. A function is combined of a block of code that can be called or used anywhere in the program by calling the name.
