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Divide and Conquer

• Best way to solve a problem is by dividing the
problem and solving it.
• Divide and conquer
– Construct a program from smaller pieces or
components
• These smaller pieces are called modules
– Each module more manageable than the original
program

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 Program Modules in C
• Functions
– Modules in C are called functions.
– Programs combine user-defined functions with library
functions
• C standard library has a wide variety of functions for
performing common mathematical calculations, string
manipulations, character manipulations, input/output and
many more.
• C standard library makes your job easier.
• Functions like printf(), scanf(), pow() are standard library
functions.
• We can also write functions to define some specific task in a
program and these functions are called user-defined
functions.

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 Functions
• Functions
– Modularize a program
– All variables defined inside functions are local
variables
• Known only in function defined.
– Parameters
• Functions have list of parameters.
• Communicate information between functions.
• Are also Local variables to that function.

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 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

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 Function Call
• Function calls
– Invoking functions
• Provide function name and arguments (data)
• Function performs operations or manipulations
• Function returns results
– Function call analogy:
• Boss asks worker to complete task
– Worker gets information, does task, returns result
– Information hiding: boss does not know details

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 Program Modules in C
Hierarchical boss function/worker function relationship.

main

worker1 worker2 worker3

worker4 worker5

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 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

– Parameter-list: comma separated list, declares

parameters
• A type must be listed explicitly for each parameter unless,
the parameter is of type int

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 Function Definitions
• Function definition format (continued)
return-value-type function-name( parameter-list )
{
declarations and statements
}
– Definitions and statements: function body (block)
• Variables can be defined inside blocks (can be nested)
• Functions can not be defined inside other functions
– Returning control
• If nothing returned
– return;
– or, until reaches right brace at the end of function.
• 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 square( int y);
• Takes in 1 int data.
• Returns an int
• Promotion rules and conversions
– Converting to lower types can lead to errors

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 Function Prototypes
• The argument values that do not correspond to the parameter types in
the function prototype are converted to the proper type before function
is called.
• This is done according to promotion hierarchy of data types in type
conversion.
• The types lower in the table is converted to types higher in the table.
Data types printf conversion scanf conversion
specifications specifications
long double %Lf %Lf
double %f %lf
float %f %f
unsigned long int %lu %lu
long int %ld %ld
unsigned int %u %u
int %d %d
short %hd %hd
char %c %c
Promotion hierarchy for data types.
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 Next Class: Math Library
Function

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