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.
A function declaration tells the compiler about a function's name, return type, and parameters. A function definition provides the actual body of the function.
The C standard library provides numerous built-in functions that your program can call. For example, strcat() to concatenate two strings, memcpy() to copy one memory location to another location, and many more functions.
A function can also be referred as a method or a sub-routine or a procedure, etc.
Defining Function:
The general form of a function definition in C programming language is as follows –
return_type function_name( parameter list ) {
body of the function
}
A function definition in C programming consists of a function header and a function body. Here are all the parts of a function −
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. 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.
Function Declaration:
A function declaration tells the compiler about a function name and how to call the function. The actual body of the function can be defined separately.
A function declaration has the following parts −
return_type function_name( parameter list );
For the above defined function max(), the function declaration is as follows −
int max(int num1, int num2);
Parameter names are not important in function declaration only their type is required, so the following is also a valid declaration −
int max(int, int);
Function Calling:While creating a C function, you give a definition of what the function has to do. To use a function, you will have to call that function to perform the defined task.
When a program calls a function, the program control is transferred to the called function. A called function performs a defined task and when its return statement is executed or when its function-ending closing brace is reached, it returns the program control back to the main program.
To call a function, you simply need to pass the required parameters along with the function name, and if the function returns a value, then you can store the returned value.
