CS10003: Functions in C Programming

Vocabulary flashcards covering C programming functions, parameters, scope, storage classes, and preprocessor directives.

Function

A program segment that carries out a specific, well-defined task whenever it is called.

Caller Function

The function that invokes or calls another function during program execution.

Called Function

The function that is executed as a result of being called by another function, processing passed information and optionally returning a result.

Function Control Flow

The transfer of execution control from the calling function to the called function, and back to the caller function upon return.

Function Prototype

A declaration statement written before function calls that informs the compiler of a function's name, return type, and parameter types, ending with a semicolon.

Function Definition

The complete specification of a function consisting of a header line (return type, name, and parameters) followed by the body enclosed in curly braces.

Formal Parameters

Identifiers declared in the header line of a function definition that receive argument values passed into the function.

Actual Parameters

The specific variables or values provided inside the parameter list of a function call statement.

Return Statement

A statement that terminates execution of the called function and transfers control along with an optional single result value back to the caller.

Void Function

A function declared with the return type void that does not return a value to the calling function.

Nested Functions

The defining of a function inside another function, which is strictly prohibited in C.

Recursion

A process in which a function calls itself directly or indirectly in a cycle.

Scope of a Variable

The region within a program (such as a block enclosed in braces) from which a variable can be accessed or referenced.

Local Variable

A variable declared within a function or block that exists only during the execution of that block and is inaccessible outside it.

Global Variable

A variable declared outside all functions whose scope spans the entire program, accessible by default to all functions.

Call by Value

A parameter passing mechanism where a copy of the actual argument's value is passed to the called function, protecting the caller's original value from modification.

Call by Reference

A parameter passing mechanism where the memory address of the original argument is passed to the function, allowing changes to modify the caller's variable.

Header File

A file containing declarations and prototypes for standard library functions (e.g., , ) or custom functions, loaded using #include.

C Preprocessor

A text substitution module that processes the C source program prior to actual compilation, handling directives beginning with #.

Macro Definition

A preprocessor directive (#define) that replaces specified string identifiers with defined replacement strings or expressions before compilation.

Storage Class

A property specifying the scope, visibility, and memory lifetime of a variable during execution.

Automatic Variable

The default storage class (auto) for local variables in a function, where memory is allocated on entry and destroyed upon exit.

Static Variable

A local variable declared with static that retains its value across function calls throughout the entire program execution and is initialized only once.

Register Variable

A variable declared with register requesting the compiler to store it in CPU registers to optimize execution speed.

External Variable

A global variable declared across files using the extern keyword, informing the compiler of its existence without allocating new memory.