C++

Lecture 2
Friday 11 July 2003
 Chapter 3, Functions

 built-in functions
 function prototype, function
definition and use
 storage class and scope
 recursion
 inline function
 default argument, function
overloading, template
 Math Library Functions

 #include <cmath> // to use math

// library
 On Unix, special compiler flag is
needed
C.f. math.h
gxx file.cpp -lm
 most math functions take
double as argument and return
double as value
 Math Functions

 ceil(x), cos(x), exp(x), fabs(x),

floor(x), fmod(x,y), log(x),
log10(x), pow(x,y), sin(x),
sqrt(x), tan(x) C.f. Fig.3.2 h

 For some compilers (such as

GNU C++), there are also some
special functions, such as err
function, bessel function etc.
 Functions

 Organization of Large Program

• Separate tasks into functions
• Group related functions in
separate files.
 Typical Program Prototypes;
main() { … ;}
func1() { …; }
func2(int i, …) { … }
 Functions

 Function prototype
 function definition
 use of function
 argument passing in C++

C.f. Fig.3.3
 Function Prototypes

 Format
void maximum(int, int, int);
 Location of function prototype
in file
 When can we omit function
prototype?
 Advantage of prototype
 Storage Classes

 Storage class determines the

period during which an identifier
exists in memory

 Four storage classes

auto, register, extern, static
C.f. Fig. 3.12
 Auto Storage Class

 Local variables in functions or

blocks. Auto storage class
variables are created only when
the block is active, and
disappear when the block or
function exits.
 Register Storage Class

 Variable existence like auto.

The register variable is a
suggestion to the compiler to
put the variable in a CPU
register.
 Static Storage Class

 Local static variable exists

during the whole program
executing, i.e., the variable
retains its value between
function calls.
 However, the reference to the
variable is local in the function
or block.
 Extern Storage Class

 Global variables and function

names have the storage class
extern. Extern storage class
variable exists during the whole
program execution.
 Scope Rules

 The places in code segment

that an identifier is visible:
 function scope
 file scope
 block scope
 function-prototype scope
 class scope
 Storage Class and
Scope
 Storage class says when a
variable exists
 scope says where in program
segment the variable is valid for
reference
Unary Scope Resolution
Operator ::
 Using ::, one can access an
global variable even if it is over-
shadowed by a local variable of
the same name.
 Recursion

 A function can also call itself,

this is known as recursion
 To avoid infinite recursion, one
must have a terminating
condition in the function
 recursion v.s. iteration
C.f. Fig.3.14
 Inline Functions

 Advantage: function call

overhead is eliminated, thus
faster and less memory
consuming C.f. Fig. 3.19
 Disadvantage: the code is
expanded during compilation so
that executable file is large
 Call by Value v.s.
Call by Reference
 Call-by-value: the function
takes/works on a copy of the
original variable

 Call-by-reference: the function

works on the original variable
passed by caller.
C.f. Fig. 3.20
 Call by Reference

int func(int &); // prototype

int main()
{
func(x); // call as usual
}
int func(int &x) // x is ref to int
{
x = ..; // use x as usual
}
Call by Reference Using
Pointer
int func(int *); // prototype
int main()
{
func(&x); // call as usual
}
int func(int *x) // x is ref to int
{
*x = ..; // use x as usual
}
 Default Arguments

 The right-most arguments, if

omitted, take the default value

 Default values are specified at

the first occurrence (prototype
or function definition) of the
function C.f. Fig.3.23
 Function Overloading

 Several functions of different

argument types can use the
same function name. E.g. we
can define a function square to
work on int as well as on
double. C.f. 3.25
 In fact, we need to write two
functions to handle two cases.
 Function Template

 A function definition with

unspecified data type.
 The type is determined
according to its use at compile
time.
 Exercise, p.243, 3.22

 Write a function that displays at the

left margin of the screen a solid
square of asterisks whose side is
specified in integer parameter side.
E.g. side = 4 displays
****
****
****
****
 Exercise, p.245, 3.32 &
p.248, 3.45
 The greatest common divisor
(GCD) of two integers is the
largest integer that evenly
divides each of the numbers.
Write a function gcd() that
returns the greatest common
divisor of two integers.