Function (programming): Difference between revisions
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In C and other languages, the term "function" is used in a wider sense than this article previously allowed. |
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In computer programming, a '''function''' is [[subroutine]] |
In computer programming, a '''function''' is a [[subroutine]] which can be called with a set of [[parameter]]s and which is defined or declared as though it always returns a value, sometimes using a special symbol to indicate that no value is ever actually returned. For example, in the [[C programming language|C]] and [[Java programming language]]s, a function that never returns a value would be defined as though the returned value was of type ''void''. |
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If a function can in fact return a value, then the function may be referenced within an [[expression]], in which case if a value is returned, it is used in the natural way in the evaluation of the expression. |
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For example, in the C programming language, in which 'int' signifies a sufficiently small integer, if f and g are declared as follows: |
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int f(int a); |
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int g(int a); |
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and if f(1) returns 1, and if g(2) returns 2, then the expression ''f(1) + f(2)'' |
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would evaluate to 3. |
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Revision as of 09:19, 28 March 2004
In computer programming, a function is a subroutine which can be called with a set of parameters and which is defined or declared as though it always returns a value, sometimes using a special symbol to indicate that no value is ever actually returned. For example, in the C and Java programming languages, a function that never returns a value would be defined as though the returned value was of type void.
If a function can in fact return a value, then the function may be referenced within an expression, in which case if a value is returned, it is used in the natural way in the evaluation of the expression.
For example, in the C programming language, in which 'int' signifies a sufficiently small integer, if f and g are declared as follows:
int f(int a); int g(int a);
and if f(1) returns 1, and if g(2) returns 2, then the expression f(1) + f(2) would evaluate to 3.