HCMC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, VNU-HCM

Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

Lab 6 - Function
In this week, we practice implementing in C programming with Function. Students can see some
sample exercises and must prepare solution for all exercises in part B.

Part A. Sample exercises.

Types of Functions in C++

There are two types of functions in C++.

 Library Functions
 User-defined Functions

Library Functions

Library functions are pre-defined functions in C++.

User Defined Functions

We declare a function as follows

return_type function_name ( parameters ) ;

As an example, suppose we have to calculate the average of 2 numbers, num1 and num2. The
numbers are of type integer and average is of type float. Then we will pass the numbers to a
function that will return the average value of those numbers. We will declare that function as
follows:

float average( int num1, int num2 );

Here, the function named 'average' is taking num1 and num2 of integer type as input and then
returning the average value of type float after calculating it.

Defining Function

Syntax for defining a function is

return_type function_name ( parameters )

{
//code
}
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Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

Let's see the average function that we defined above.

float average( int num1, int num2 )

{
float avg; /* declaring local variable */
avg = ( num1 + num2 )/2.0;
return avg; /* returning the average value */
}

As seen before, variables declared inside function are called local variables. A local variable can
only be used in the function in which it is declared. It has no use outside the function. For
example, in our case, avg is a local variable.

Therefore, we wrote 'int' along with num1 and num2.

return avg; - This means that this function will give us or return us avg which is of type float.
You will understand this more clearly from examples.

Calling Function

To use a function, we need to call it. Once we call a function, it performs its operations and after
that, the control again passes to the main program.

To call a function, we need to specify the function name along with its parameters.

function_name ( parameters ) ;

So we will call our average function as shown below

average( num1, num2 );

Now, let's combine all to take out the average of 2 numbers using a function.

#include <iostream>

float average( int num1, int num2 ); /* declaring function named

average */

int main(){
using namespace std;
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Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

int num1, num2;

float c;
cout << "Enter first number" << endl;
cin >> num1;
cout << "Enter second number" << endl;
cin >> num2;
c = average( num1, num2 ); /* calling the function average
and storing its value in c*/
cout << "Average is " << c << endl;
return 0;
}

float average( int num1, int num2 ) /* function */

{
float avg; /* declaring local variable */
avg = ( num1 + num2 )/2.0;
return avg; /* returning the average value */
}
Output

Enter first number

5
Enter second number
4
Average is 4.5

float average( int num1, int num2 ); - We have declared that we have defined a function named
'average' in our program so that, 'main' function can search for it while calling that function
'main'.

Here, a function named average with 2 integer parameters (num1 and num2) and return type float
is declared. This means while calling the function, we need to give two integers as input and in
return, it will give us a float as output.

By writing c = average( num1, num2 );, we are calling the function 'average' with 2 parameters
( num1 and num2 ). Now, 'average' is called and it calculated and returned the average value of
num1 and num2. As it is returning a float, and here it is 4.5, so, this expression will be equivalent
to c = 4.50, since 4.50 is returned by the function and its value gets stored in a variable 'c'.

We can also define a function at the time of declaration as in the example below.

#include <iostream>
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Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

float average( int num1, int num2 ) /* function */

{
float avg; /* declaring local variable */
avg = ( num1 + num2 )/2.0;
return avg; /* returning the average value */
}

int main(){
using namespace std;
int num1, num2;
float c;
cout << "Enter first number" << endl;
cin >> num1;
cout << "Enter second number" << endl;
cin >> num2;
c = average( num1, num2 ); /* calling the function average
and storing its value in c*/
cout << "Average is " << c << endl;
return 0;
}
Output

Enter first number

5
Enter second number
4
Average is 4.5

We have defined our 'average' function before 'main'. So, in this case, while executing main, the
compiler will know that there is a function named 'average'.

If a function doesn't return anything, then its return type is written as void as in the example
below.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

void display( int n ) /* function */

{
cout << "Number is " << n << endl;
}
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Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

int main(){
int n;
cout << "Enter number" << endl;
cin >> n;
display(n); /* calling the function display*/
return 0;
}

Output

Enter a number
5
Number is 5

'void' means that function will not return anything.

One thing to note in the above example is that we wrote using namespace std; outside our main
function. This is because if we write this statement inside the main function, then it will be
defined only in the main function, not in the display function.
So, either we have to write using namespace std; in both the functions (main() function and
display function) separately or we can write it in the starting outside both the functions as we did
in the above example.

It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. Let's see its example.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

void display( )
{
cout << "Function with no argument" << endl;
}

int main(){
display();
return 0;
}
Output

Function with no argument

As we saw, there is no argument given to the function display().

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Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

Calling a function inside another

Yes, we can call a function inside another function. We have already done this. We were calling
our functions inside the main function. Now look at an example in which there are two user
defined functions. And we will call one inside another.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int div_2(int a){

if(a%2==0){
return 1;
}
else{
return 0;
}
}

void div_6(int b){

if( div_2(b)==1 && b%3 == 0 ){
cout << "Yes, the number is divisible by 6." << endl;
}
else{
cout << "No, the number is not divisible by 6." << endl;
}
}

int main(){
div_6(12);
div_6(25);
return 0;
}
Output

Yes, the number is divisible by 6.

No, the number is not divisible by 6.

A number is divisible by 6, if it is divisible by both 2 and 3. We have a function div_2 which

will return 1 if the given number is divisible by 2. Another function that we have defined is
div_6 which calls div_2 inside itself.
if( div_2(b)==1 && b%3 == 0 ) - In our case, b and thus a are 12 in the first case and 25 is the
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Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

next case. So, if div_2 returns 1, the number is divisible by 2. And if b%3==0 is true, 'b' is
divisible by 3. So if the number is divisible by both 2 and 3, then it is divisible by 6 also.

Recursion

Recursion is the calling of a function within the same function.

Let's consider an example in which we have to calculate the factorial of a number.

The factorial of a number n is the product of all the natural numbers till n. For example, the
factorial of 5 is 1*2*3*4*5 = 120, the factorial of 2 is 1*2 = 2. The factorial of both 0 and 1 is 1.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int factorial( int a ) /* function */

{
if( a == 0 || a == 1)
{
return 1;
}
else
{
return a*factorial(a-1);
}
}

int main(){
int n;

cout << "Enter number" << endl;

cin >> n;

int fact = factorial(n);

cout << "Factorial of " << n << " is " << fact << endl;

return 0;
}
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Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

Output

Enter number
4
Factorial of 4 is 24

Since we passed n to the function factorial, therefore the value of a is that of 'n'. Thus, if the
value of the integer 'a' is 0 or 1, return 1; will return 1. Otherwise if the integer 'a' is greater than
1, then a*factorial(a-1); multiplies a with the factorial of 'a-1'.
For example, if the number is 4, then 'a*factorial(a-1)' implies '4*factorial(3)'. So by writing
'a*factorial(a-1)', we are again calling the function 'factorial' inside itself but this time the
argument is 'a-1' i.e. factorial(a-1).

So if we give 0 to the function factorial, it will return us 1.

If we give 1, it will again return 1.

Now, give 2.
This time the statement in the body of 'else' will be executed and it has to return 'a*factorial(a-
1)' i.e. 2*factorial(1). So, it will again call 'factorial' (as factorial(1) ) which is 1. Finally, it will
return 2*1 i.e. 2.

Now, try this with 3. This time, it will return 3*facto`rial(2). Again it will call factorial(2) which
will return 2*factorial(1). So the expression will be return 3*2*factorial(1) which is 3*2*1 (
since factorial(1) will return 1 ).

For 4, the expression will be 4*factorial(3).

Calling factorial(3) will return 4*3*factorial(2) ( since factorial(3) will return 3*factorial(2) ).
Again calling factorial(2) will return 4*3*2*factorial(1).
Thus, at last, 4*3*2*1 or 24 will be returned.

Part B. Exercises

Ex1.Write C++ program to check even or odd using functions

Ex2.Write C++ to check prime numbers using function
Ex3. Write C++ program to find cube of a number using function
Ex4.Write C++ Program to convert binary number to decimal and vice-versa using function
Ex5. Write C++ program to find prime numbers in given range using functions
Ex6. Write C++ program to find diameter, circumference and area of circle using function
Ex7. Write C++ program to find the square of any number using the function.
Ex8. Write C++ program to swap two numbers using function
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Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

Ex9. Write C++ program to get the largest element of an array using the function
Ex10. Write C++ programming to find out maximum and minimum of some values using function which
will return an array
Ex.11. Write C++ Program to reverse a number using function
Ex12. Write a C++ program that will display the calculator menu. Declare your own function to do this
The program will prompt the user to choose the operation choice (from 1 to 5). Then it asks the user to
input two integer vales for the calculation. See the sample below.
MENU
1. Add
2. Subtract
3. Multiply
4. Divide
5. Modulus
Enter your choice: 1
Enter your two numbers: 12 15
Result: 27
Continue? y