Functions

A function is a set of statements that are executed together when the function is called. Every function has a name, which is used to call the respective function.

Built-in Functions

C++ has many built-in functions. In order to use them, the required library has to be imported using #include.

Here a function named sqrt() is made available from the <cmath> library:

#include <iostream>
#include <cmath>

int main() {
  std::cout << sqrt(10);
  // Output: 3.16228
}

Function Declaration & Definition

A C++ function has two parts:

• Function declaration
• Function definition

The declaration includes the function’s name, return type, and any parameters.

The definition is the actual body of the function which executes when a function is called. The body of a function is typically enclosed in curly braces.

#include <iostream>

// Function declaration
void blah();

// Main function
int main() {
  blah();
}

// Function definition
void blah() {
  std::cout << "Blah blah";
}

Void Functions

In C++, if the type of a function is declared as void, it does not return a value. These functions are useful for a set of statements that do not require returning a value.

#include <iostream>

void print() {
  std::cout << "Hello World!";
}

int main() {
  print();
}

Return Values

A function that returns a value must have a return statement. The data type of the return value also must match the method’s declared return type.

On the other hand, a void function (one that does not return anything) does not require a return statement.

#include <iostream>

int sum(int a, int b);

int main() {
  int r = sum(10, 20);
  std::cout << r;
}

int sum(int a, int b) {
  return(a + b);
}

Function Declarations in Header File

C++ functions typically have two parts: declaration and definition.

Function declarations are generally stored in a header file (.hpp or .h) and function definitions (body of the function that defines how it is implemented) are written in the .cpp file.

main.cpp

#include <iostream>
#include "functions.hpp"

int main() {
  std::cout << say_hi("Sabaa");
}

functions.hpp

// Function declaration
std::string say_hi(std::string name);

functions.cpp

#include <string>
#include "functions.hpp"

// Function definition
std::string say_hi(std::string name) {
  return "Hey there, " + name + "!\n";
}

Function Arguments

In C++, the values passed to a function are known as arguments. They represent the actual input values.

#include <iostream>

void print(int);

int main() {
  print(10);
  // The argument 10 is received as input value
}

// Parameter a is defined for the function print
void print(int a) {
  std::cout << a;
}

Overloading

The ability to create multiple functions with the same name but different parameters is called function overloading in C++. It provides a way to reuse the same function name in different contexts by accepting different data types and numbers of arguments.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

void add(int a,int b){
    cout << "Output, when add function is called with integer parameters: " << a+b << "\n";
}

void add(string a, string b){
   cout << "Output, when add function is called with string parameters: " << a+b << "\n";
}

int main() {
  int a=10,b=10;
  string s = "Hello",t="World!";
  add(a,b);
  add(s,t);
}

This will output:

When add function is called with integer parameters: 20
When add function is called with string parameters: HelloWorld!