Correct usage of functions

[sfBlackfox]

Hello everyone,

From the moment I learned how to use functions, I've kind of been wondering whether I'm using them correctly or not. Considering I'm learning everything on my own, I don't have much reference to go by, other than things I find in a book.

What I wonder is if it is good programming practice to keep a particular task in a separate function? How do you decide what to keep, and what to do separate?

I find myself doing even menial tasks like:

void printTitle()
{
   //some title here 
}

int main ()
{
   printTitle();
   //more code
}

I could just have placed that thing inside the main() function. But for some reason I prefer to have as much of the real code outside of main(). I do not know why though, I just think it looks more organized that way.

Thing is, even if there are no disadvantages to it, is it still a good practice to do so? I don't want to end up doing this all the time and then having to unlearn it when I do start earning money for this.

I may be to hasty on this, as OOP is in the next chapter. It just bothers me when I write my code now :D

[gelatine]

well it is quite nice if you use the function multiple times in your main. otherwise you allways have to rewrite it.

[TheIdeasMan]

Hi sfBlackfox,

Everything you have said is right. And it is very good practice.

Taking code out of main makes things much clearer.

void ShowMenu()
{
   //print 20 lines of menu here
}

int main ()
{
   ShowMenu();
   //more code
}

One big advantage of functions is they allow you to reuse code.

A good style point is to put your function declarations before main, and the definition of them after main.

void ShowMenu();
double CircleArea( double radius);
int main ()
{

double Area= 0.0;  //description of what this local variable is 

   ShowMenu();
  Area = CircleArea(10.0);   //more code
}
void ShowMenu()
{
   //print 20 lines of menu here
}

double CircleArea( double radius)  {
double Area = 0.0;     //description of what this local variable is 

//code in here to do calc
return Area;
}

For a program that shows a menu, you would have these functions:

ShowMenu
ProcessMenuOptions
MenuOptionA //Use a better name like PlayTicTacToe
MenuOptionB
MenuOptionC

//any other functions that are needed

[sfBlackfox]

Thanks for those replies guys.

@TheIdeasMan: I like those naming conventions you gave me. I was using "PlayTicTactToe" and the likes, and never was too sure what to name them.

One last question: I notice that most people use the UpperCamelCase, while I'm using the lowerCamelCase. Should I be using UpperCamelCase as well?

[zb0S216C]

sfBlackFox wrote:

"I notice that most people use the UpperCamelCase, while I'm using the lowerCamelCase. Should I be using UpperCamelCase as well?"

You can use either; the compiler doesn't care.

_Wazzal

[sfBlackfox]

Thanks