C++ Functions

Variable Scope Storage Class Recursion

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C++ Functions
In other languages called subroutines or procedures. C++ functions all have a type.
Sometimes we dont need to have a function return anything in this case the function can have type void.

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C++ Functions (cont.)

C++ functions have a list of parameters.
Parameters are the things we give the function to operate on.
Each parameter has a type.

There can be zero parameters.

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Sample function
me a n n o i t c Fun

Return type

parameters

int add2ints(int a, int b) { return(a+b);

Fun ctio n bo dy

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Using functions Math Library functions

C++ includes a library of Math functions you can use. You have to know how to call these functions before you can use them. You have to know what they return. You dont have to know how they work!

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double sqrt( double )

When calling sqrt, we have to give it a double. The sqrt function returns a double. x = sqrt(y); x = sqrt(100);

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x = sqrt(y);
The stuff we give a function is called the argument(s). Y is the argument here. A C++ function cant change the value of an argument! If y was 100 before we call sqrt, it will always be 100 after we call sqrt.

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Table of square roots

int i; for (i=1;i<10;i++) cout << sqrt(i) << \n; But I thought we had to give sqrt() a double? C++ does automatic type conversion for you.
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Telling the compiler about sqrt()

How does the compiler know about sqrt ? You have to tell it: #include <cmath>

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Other Math Library Functions

ceil cos exp fabs floor sin log fmod
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tan log10 pow

Writing a function
You have decide on what the function will look like:
Return type Name Types of parameters (number of parameters)

You have to write the body (the actual code).

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Function parameters
The parameters are local variables inside the body of the function.
When the function is called they will have the values passed in. The function gets a copy of the values passed in (we will later see how to pass a reference to a variable).

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Sample Function
int add2nums( int firstnum, int secondnum ) { int sum; sum = firstnum + secondnum; // just to make a point firstnum = 0; secondnum = 0; return(sum); }
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Testing add2nums
int main(void) { int y,a,b; cout << "Enter 2 numbers\n"; cin >> a >> b; y = add2nums(a,b); cout << "a is " << a << endl; cout << "b is " << b << endl; cout << "y is " << y << endl; return(0);

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What happens here?

int add2nums(int a, int b) { a=a+b; return(a); } int a,b,y; y = add2nums(a,b);
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Local variables
Parameters and variables declared inside the definition of a function are local. They only exist inside the function body. Once the function returns, the variables no longer exist!
Thats fine! We dont need them anymore!

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Block Variables
You can also declare variables that exist only within the body of a compound statement (a block): { int foo; }
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Global variables
You can declare variables outside of any function definition these variables are global variables. Any function can access/change global variables. Example: flag that indicates whether debugging information should be printed.
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Scope
The scope of a variable is the portion of a program where the variable has meaning (where it exists). A global variable has global (unlimited) scope. A local variables scope is restricted to the function that declares the variable. A block variables scope is restricted to the block in which the variable is declared.
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A note about Global vs. File scope

A variable declared outside of a function is available everywhere, but only the functions that follow it in the file know about it.

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Block Scope
int main(void) { int y; { int a = y; cout << a << endl; } cout << a << endl; }
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t s i x e t n k! s e oc o l d b a e h t r ro ide r E ts ou

Nesting
In C++:
There is no nesting of function definitions.
You dont need to know who calls a function to know the scope of its variables!

There is nesting of variable scope in blocks.

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Nested Blocks
void foo(void) { for (int j=0;j<10;j++) { int k = j*10; cout << j << , << k << endl; { int m = j+k; m cout << m << , << j << endl; } } }

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Storage Class
Each variable has a storage class.
Determines the period during which the variable exists in memory. Some variables are created only once (memory is set aside to hold the variable value)
Global variables are created only once.

Some variables are re-created many times

Local variables are re-created each time a function is called.

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Storage Classes
auto created each time the block in which they exist is entered. register same as auto, but tells the compiler to make as fast as possible. static created only once, even if it is a local variable. extern global variable declared elsewhere.
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Specifying Storage Class

auto int j; register int i_need_to_be_fast; static char remember_me; extern double a_global;
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Practical Use of Storage Class

Local variables are auto by default. Global variables are static by default. Declaring a local variable as static means it will remember its last value (its not destroyed and re-created each time its scope is entered).
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static

example
{ 0;

int countcalls(void) static int count = count++; return(count); } cout << countcalls() cout << countcalls() cout << countcalls()

<< endl; << endl; << endl;

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The Scope of Functions

In C++ we really talk about the scope of an identifier (name).
Could be a function or a variable (or a class).

Function names have file scope

everything that follows a function definition in the same file can use the function.

Sometimes this is not convenient

We want to call the function from the top of the file and define it at the bottom of the file.
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Function Prototypes
A Function prototype can be used to tell the compiler what a function looks like
So that it can be called even though the compiler has not yet seen the function definition.

A function prototype specifies the function name, return type and parameter types.
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Example prototypes
double sqrt( double); int add2nums( int, int); int counter(void);

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Using a prototype
int counter(void); int main(void) { cout << counter() << endl; cout << counter() << endl; cout << counter() << endl; } int counter(void) { static int count = 0; count++; return(count); }
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Functions that call each other

foo1 foo2() foo2 foo1()

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Dualing Functions
string chicken( int generation ) { if (generation == 0) return("Chicken!"); else return(egg(generation-1)); } string egg( int generation ) { if (generation == 0) return("Egg!"); else return(chicken(generation-1)); }
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The rest of chicken vs. egg

string egg( int ); string chicken( int ); int main(void) { int startnum; cout << "Enter starting generation of your chicken" << endl; cin >> startnum; cout << "Your chicken started as a " << chicken(startnum) << endl; return(0); }
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Recursion
Functions can call themselves! This is called recursion. Recursion is very useful its often very simple to express a complicated computation recursively.

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The Recursive Chicken

(a new dance fad!)
string chicken_or_egg( int gen ) { if (gen == 0) return("Chicken!"); else if (gen == 1) return(Egg!); else return(chicken_or_egg(gen-1)); }
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A Better Example Computing Factorials

int factorial( int x ) { if (x == 1) return(1); else return(x * factorial(x-1)); }

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Designing Recursive Functions

Define Base Case:
The situation in which the function does not call itself.

Define recursive step:

Compute the return value the help of the function itself.

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Recursion Base Case

The base case corresponds to a case in which you know the answer (the function returns the value immediately), or can easily compute the answer. If you dont have a base case you cant use recursion! (and you probably dont understand the problem).
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Recursive Step
Use the recursive call to solve a subproblem.
The parameters must be different (or the recursive call will get us no closer to the solution). You generally need to do something besides just making the recursive call.

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Recursion is a favorite test topic

Write a recursive C++ function that computes the area of an nxn square. n
Base case: n=1 area=1

Recursive Step: area = n+n-1+area(n-1)

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Recursive area function

int area( int n) { if (n == 1) return(1); else return( n + n - 1 + area(n-1) ); }

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Recursion Exercise
Write a function that prints a triangle:
triangle(4); triangle(5);

* *** ***** *******

* *** ***** ******* *********

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Call-by-value vs. Call-by-reference

So far we looked at functions that get a copy of what the caller passed in.
This is call-by-value, as the value is what gets passed in (the value of a variable).

We can also define functions that are passed a reference to a variable.

This is call-by-reference, the function can change a callers variables directly.
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References
A reference variable is an alternative name for a variable. A shortcut. A reference variable must be initialized to reference another variable. Once the reference is initialized you can treat it just like any other variable.

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Reference Variable Declarations

To declare a reference variable you precede the variable name with a &:
int &foo; double &blah; char &c;

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Reference Variable Example

int count; int &blah = count; // blah is the same variable as count count = 1; cout << blah is << blah << endl; blah++; cout << count is << count << endl;

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Reference Parameters
You can declare reference parameters:
void add10( int &x) { is r x = x+10; e t e m a r a p } The add10(counter);
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Useful Reference Example

void swap( int &x, int &y) { int tmp; tmp = x; x = y; y = tmp; }

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