Member Avatar for pooran.c

what is the difference between procedure and functions??

  • 3 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 139 Views
  • 8 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by pooran.c

Dani AI

Generated

Short answer: "procedure" is a name some languages use for a subroutine that does not return a value; "function" usually returns a value. C does not have a separate "procedure" keyword — C only has functions. A C function with return type void is the practical equivalent of a procedure in other languages.

Think in terms of semantics, not syntax. A function returns data; a procedure performs actions (side effects). When designing C code prefer functions that produce clear results and keep side effects explicit. For multiple outputs, return a struct or use output parameters via pointers and document ownership and null checks.

Example patterns (C-style):

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

void log_sum(int a, int b) {
    printf("%d\n", a + b);
}

void divide(int a, int b, int *quotient, int *remainder) {
    if (b == 0) return; /* handle error properly in real code */
    *quotient = a / b;
    *remainder = a % b;
}

Practical cautions: a non-void function must return a value on every control path (otherwise behavior is undefined). Use void when no result is intended, but remember that a void function still returns control to the caller. As pointed out, the terminology differs by language; 's suggestion to search for references is sensible if deeper history or language-specific rules are needed. See the C language reference on functions for details: and general context on subroutines: Subroutine.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for gerard4143

Google is your friend.

Member Avatar for Rass Saee

There is no such term 'procedure' in C language, only function. In some languages such as visual basic there are procedures and functions and the difference is that functions return values and procedures don't.

Member Avatar for pooran.c

thanks guys...

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.