Functions
| Basic concepts | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Preprocessor | ||||
| Statements | ||||
| Expressions | ||||
| Initialization | ||||
| Declarations | ||||
| Functions | ||||
| Miscellaneous | ||||
| History of C | ||||
| Technical Specifications |
A function is a C language construct that associates a compound statement (the function body) with an identifier (the function name). Every C program begins execution from the main function, which either terminates, or invokes other, user-defined or library functions.
/ function definition. / defines a function with the name "sum" and with the body "{ return x+y; }" int sum(int x, int y) { return x + y; }
A function is introduced by a function declaration or a function definition.
Functions may accept zero or more parameters, which are initialized from the arguments of a function call operator, and may return a value to its caller by means of the return statement.
int n = sum(1, 2); / parameters x and y are initialized with the arguments 1 and 2
The body of a function is provided in a function definition. Each non-inline(since C99) function that is used in an expression (unless unevaluated) must be defined only once in a program.
There are no nested functions (except where allowed through non-standard compiler extensions): each function definition must appear at file scope, and functions have no access to the local variables from the caller:
int main(void) / the main function definition { int sum(int, int); / function declaration (may appear at any scope) int x = 1; / local variable in main sum(1, 2); / function call / int sum(int a, int b) / error: no nested functions / { / return a + b; / } } int sum(int a, int b) / function definition { / return x + a + b; / error: main's x is not accessible within sum return a + b; }
[edit] References
- C23 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2024):
- 6.7.7.4 Function declarators (including prototypes) (p: TBD)
- 6.9.2 Function definitions (p: TBD)
- C17 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2018):
- 6.7.6.3 Function declarators (including prototypes) (p: 96-98)
- 6.9.1 Function definitions (p: 113-115)
- C11 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2011):
- 6.7.6.3 Function declarators (including prototypes) (p: 133-136)
- 6.9.1 Function definitions (p: 156-158)
- C99 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1999):
- 6.7.5.3 Function declarators (including prototypes) (p: 118-121)
- 6.9.1 Function definitions (p: 141-143)
- C89/C90 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1990):
- 3.5.4.3 Function declarators (including prototypes)
- 3.7.1 Function definitions
[edit] See also
| C++ documentation for Declaring functions
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