BOWEN UNIVERSITY, IWO.

COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

BUI-CSC 201
FUNCTIONS IN C ++
1. INTRODUCTION
 A function is a named sequence of code that performs a specific task.
 It reduces the size of a program by grouping a number of program
statements into a unit and assigns a name to it. This unit can then be
invoked from other parts of the program by calling this name.
 Any sequence of instructions that appears in a program more than
once is perfect to be made into a function
 Function also facilitates code reusability whereby a function defined in a
program can be imported into another program.
 Program becomes easier to debug when you use functions
 Program becomes easier to extend when you use functions (Code
Extensibility)
 Function maximizes the use of system resources especially memory as a
function’s code is stored in only one place in memory, even though a
function could be executed many times in the course of the program
 With inbuilt functions, programs become easier to write and faster to
compile as you are not interested in how your compiler does the
calculation but the result of the calculation e.g. computing a square
root would have entail:

#include <iostream>
int main() {
double input;
std::cout << "Enter number: ";

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 std::cin >> input;
double diff;
// Compute a provisional square root
double root = 1.0;
do { // Loop until the provisional root is close enough to
the actual root
root = (root + input/root) / 2.0;
std::cout << "root is " << root << '\n';
// How bad is the approximation?
diff = root * root - input;
}
while (diff > 0.0001 || diff < -0.0001);
// Report approximate square root
std::cout << "Square root of " << input << " = " <<
root << '\n';
}

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 To use any inbuilt function, you must include the header file that
contains the function needed.
 Max and min function max (value1, value2) and min (value1, value2)
can be used to compute the maximum or minimum between two values.
It could be found in algorithm header file
 Every program that employs a user-defined function must have three
features:
i. Function declaration: the process of informing your compiler
that function will be used is called function declaration. It entails
specifying its return value, function name and its argument type. Its
syntax is:
Return_Data_Type function_name (list_of_parameters);
Function declaration must be terminated with a semicolon.
ii. Function definition: this entails making the function active
by embedding the required statements. This can be
included before or after the main function.

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After main function : Before main function:
void function_name(); return_type
Function_name(optional_parameters)
main() {
{ //lines of code
….. }
Function call()
} main()
Function_name() {
{ Function call()
//lines of code }
}

iii. Function calls: this entails invoking the function to act at a certain
point in our program by specifying the function name followed by a

parenthesis. i.e. function_name(optional_parameters);

The data types of values at the point of function call must be the same
with those at the declaration point.
Function calls could be achieved in two ways; they are:
 Call by value: here, the actual values are sent to the function. The
original values cannot be modified in this approach
 Call by reference: here, the actual values are not passed into the
function but the memory address of the variable is passed. The
original values cannot be modified in this approach. In addition, this
provides a mechanism for passing more than one value from the
function back to the calling program.

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 #include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{ // converts a floating point number into integer and fractional
part
void intfrac (float, float&, float&); //function declaration
float number, intpart, fracpart; // normal variables declaration
do {
cout << “\nEnter a real number: “;
cin >> number;
intfrac (number, intpart, fracpart); // function call
cout << “Integer part is “<< intpart<< “, fraction part is “<<
fracpart << endl;
}
while (number! = 0.0);
return 0;
} //function definition
// finds integer and fractional parts of real number
void intfrac (float n, float& intp, float& fracp)
{
long temp = static_cast<long>(n); //convert the real number to
long integer,
intp = static_cast<float>(temp); //converts the number back to
float
fracp = n - intp; //subtract integer part from the real number
}
Note:
 The & indicates that intp is an alias—another name—for whatever
variable is passed as an argument

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  While intpart and fracpart are passed by reference, the variable
number is passed by value.

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Programming Task
 Using any control structure and function where
applicable; write a C++ program to generate a
multiplication table. Such that:
1 2 3 4 5
1 1 2 3 4 5
2 2 4 6 8 10
3 3 6 9 12 15
4 4 8 12 16 20
5 5 10 15 20 25

employ setw function of the iomanip header file where

applicable.

 Write a C++program to compute and display the

Greatest Common Divisor (GCF) between two numbers
as well as the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) between
two numbers. The relationship between LCM and GCF is:
LCM (a,b) = (a.b ) / GCD(a,b)

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 READING ASSIGNMENT II
A. Textbooks to Consult:
i. Chapter Two of Object-Oriented Programming in C++
ii. Chapter Two of Shaum’s Outline Series
B. Instructions:
i. You are expected to answer all these in your own words.
ii. You are strongly advised against copying words for words from the

textbook.
iii. Discuss among yourselves but don’t be tempted to allow your friend to
copy your solutions
C. Study Questions
i. Write exhaustively on why you need to employ functions in your
programs?
ii. Itemize the three elements of a function in a program.
iii. Discuss the two ways of defining a function? What are the observed
advantages or disadvantages of these two ways?
iv. Differentiate between a function definition and a function declaration.
v. Explain the process behind passing arguments by value.
vi. In a function declaration line, can you include the data type of the
parameters alone or you must also include the name of the
parameters.
vii. Of what importance is the function return type in a function
declaration?
viii. Of what importance is the return statement in a function definition?
ix. State the difference between the float data type in the following
function declaration: float area (float);
x. How do you handle instances when you need to return more than one
value at the same time from a function?
xi. What is the default return type of all compilers?

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xii. Itemize the difference between passing arguments by value and
passing arguments by reference.
xiii.

References
1. Robert Lafore (2002), “Object-Oriented Programming in C++”, Sams
Publishing Fourth Edition
2. John R. Hubbard (2000), “Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of
Programming with C++”, McGraw-Hill Publishers, Second Edition.

SOLUTION
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
int FirstNum, SecNum, m = 60, n = 7;
cout << "Supply your first number " << endl;
cin >> FirstNum;
cout << "Supply your second number " << endl;
cin >> SecNum;
cout << "Their sum is " << (FirstNum + SecNum) << endl;
cout << "Their difference is " << (FirstNum - SecNum) << endl;
cout << "Their product is " << (FirstNum * SecNum) << endl;
cout << "Their quotient is " << (FirstNum / SecNum) << endl;
cout << "Their remainder is " << (FirstNum % SecNum) << endl;
}

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