C Functions

Functions in C are set up a bit differently, so it's worth taking a note. Basically, to use a function, we need to do three things:

1. Declare prototype: This is like the header line in function definition but with a semi-colon at the end. This will come before main() and is a way of telling the compiler what to expect when this function will be called - return type, name of the function and argument types, if any. If the function do not take any arguments or return any value, void keyword can be used.

2. Function call: This is standard stuff - call the function wherever you want to use it.

3. Function definition: This is where the function is actually implemented. Typically either after the main() or in a separate file altogether for larger programs.

Calculate Integer Powers

// fun.c -- demo of function in C
#include <stdio.h>

int power(int x, int n); // function prototype

int main(void)
{
    printf("3 raise to the power 5 is %d\n", power(3, 5)); // function call
    printf("2 raise to the power 10 is %d\n", power(2, 10)); 

    return 0;
}

// **** Function Definition ****
// power() calculates x^n where both x and n are integers
// Arguments: x, n (both are integers)
// Return value: x^n
int power(int x, int n) // function definition
{
    int ans = 1;
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
    {
        ans *= x;
    }
    return ans;
}

3 raise to the power 5 is 243
2 raise to the power 10 is 1024