10/12/2023

Dr. Dileep Kumar Singh

Head, JLU-SOET
[email protected]

Problem Solving and Program

Design using C

Problem Solving and Program Design using C

UNIT –II

B Tech/B Tech (Hons.) CSE – 1st Sem.

Functions

Program Modules in C
• Functions: Modules in C
– Programs combine user-defined functions with library functions
• C standard library has a wide variety of functions
• Math function, I/O function, such as printf(), scanf()
• Function calls: Invoking functions
• Provide function name and arguments (data)
• Function performs operations or manipulations and return the results
• Write function once and call it many times
– Function call analogy:
• Boss asks worker to complete task
– Worker gets information, does task, returns result
– Information hiding: boss does not know details
– Also called Encapsulation

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Math Library Functions

• Math library functions
– perform common mathematical calculations
– #include <math.h>
• Format for calling functions
– FunctionName( argument );
• If multiple arguments, use comma-separated list
– printf( "%f", sqrt( 900.0 ) );
• Calls function sqrt, which returns the square root of its
argument
• All math functions return data type double
– Arguments may be constants, variables, or expressions

Functions
• Functions: Modularize a program
– All variables declared inside functions are local variables
• Known only in function defined
– Parameters
• Communicate information between functions
• Local variables
• Benefits of functions
– Divide and conquer
• Manageable program development
– Software reusability
• Use existing functions as building blocks for new programs
• Abstraction - hide internal details (library functions)
– Avoid code repetition

Function Definitions
• Function definition format
return-value-type function-name( parameter-list )
{ declarations and statements }
– Function-name: any valid identifier
– Return-value-type: data type of the result (default int)
• void – indicates that the function returns nothing
• An unspecified return-value-type is always assumed by the compiler to be int
– Parameter-list: comma separated list, declares parameters
• A type must be listed explicitly for each parameter, unless the parameter is of type int
– Declarations and statements: function body (block)
• Variables can be declared inside blocks (can be nested)
• Functions can not be defined inside other functions
– Returning control
• If nothing returned: return; or, until reaches right brace
• If something returned : return expression;

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Function Prototypes
• Function prototype
– Function name
– Parameters – what the function takes in
– Return type – data type function returns (default int)
– Used to validate functions
– Prototype only needed if function definition comes after use in
program
– The function with the prototype
int maximum( int, int, int );
• Takes in 3 ints
• Returns an int

Examples:
Example 1: …
float mySquare(float);
main()
{
float y;
printf(“%f\n”, mySquare(5.0));
}
float mySquare(float x)
{
return x*x;
}

Example 2: /* calculate the sum from 1+2+…+n */

int sum(int n)
{
int i, sum = 0;
for (i=1; i<=n; i++)
sum += i;
return(sum);
}
main()
{
int j,n;
printf(“input value n: “);
scanf(“%d”,&n);
for (j=1; j<=n; j++)
printf(“sum from 1 to %d is %d\n”,j,sum(j));
}

Header Files

• Header files
– Contain function prototypes for library functions
– <stdlib.h> , <math.h> , etc
– Load with #include <filename>
#include <math.h>
• Custom header files
– Create file with functions
– Save as filename.h
– Load in other files with #include "filename.h"
– Reuse functions

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Calling Functions: Call by Value and Call by Reference

• Used when invoking functions
• Call by value
– Copy of argument passed to function
– Changes in function do not effect original
– Use when function does not need to modify argument
• Avoids accidental changes
Example:
addone(int);
main ()
{
int i = 5, j;
j=addone(i); 5 6
printf(“%d %d\n”,i, j);
}

addone(int x)
{
return ++x;
}

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Calling Functions: Call by Value and Call by Reference

• Call by reference (Passing Address)

– Using & operator to pass address
– Only used with trusted functions
Example:
addone(int *);
main ()
{
int i = 5, j;
j=addone(&i);
printf(“%d %d\n”,i, j); 6 6
}
addone(int *x)
{
return ++(*x);
}
• For now, we focus on call by value

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Recursion

• In some problems, it may be natural to define the problem in

terms of the problem itself.
• Recursion is useful for problems that can be represented by a
simpler version of the same problem.
• Example: the factorial function
6! = 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1

We could write:
6! = 6 * 5!

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Example: factorial function

• In general, we can express the factorial function as

follows:
n! = n * (n-1)!
Is this correct? Well… almost.
• The factorial function is only defined for positive
integers. So we should be a bit more precise:
n! = 1 (if n is equal to 1)
n! = n * (n-1)! (if n is larger than 1)

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factorial function

• The C++ equivalent of this definition:

int fac(int numb){
if(numb<=1)
return 1;
else
return numb * fac(numb-1);
}
• recursion means that a function calls itself

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factorial function
• Assume the number typed is 3, that is, numb=3.
fac(3) :
3 <= 1 ? No.
fac(3) = 3 * fac(2)
fac(2) :
2 <= 1 ? No.
fac(2) = 2 * fac(1)

fac(1) :
1 <= 1 ? Yes.
return 1
int fac(int numb){
fac(2) = 2 * 1 = 2 if(numb<=1)
return fac(2) return 1;
else
fac(3) = 3 * 2 = 6 return numb * fac(numb-1);
return fac(3) }
fac(3) has the value 6

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factorial function
• For certain problems (such as the factorial function), a recursive solution often
leads to short and elegant code. Compare the recursive solution with the
iterative solution:

Iterative solution
Recursive solution
int fac(int numb){
int fac(int numb){ int product=1;
if(numb<=1)
while(numb>1){
return 1;
else
product *= numb;
return numb*fac(numb-1); numb--;
} }
return product;
}

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Recursion

• We have to pay a price for recursion:

– calling a function consumes more time and memory than
adjusting a loop counter.
– high performance applications (graphic action games, simulations
of nuclear explosions) hardly ever use recursion.
• In less demanding applications recursion is an attractive
alternative for iteration (for the right problems!)

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Recursion

• If we use iteration, we must be careful not to create

an infinite loop by accident:

for(int incr=1; incr!=10;incr+=2)

...

Oops!
int result = 1;
while(result >0){
...
result++;
}
Oops!

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Recursion
Similarly, if we use recursion we must be careful not
to create an infinite chain of function calls:
int fac(int numb){ Oops!
return numb * fac(numb-1); No termination
} condition
Or:
int fac(int numb){
if (numb<=1)
return 1;
else
return numb * fac(numb+1);
} Oops!

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THANKS

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