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Summary

In this chapter, you should have learned the following concepts:

n Functions allow you to break up your programs into manageable chunks.

n One way to declare a function is to write a function prototypecode that lists the return value, name, and parameter types of a function.

n Defining a function means writing all the code that makes the function tick.

184 Chapter 5 n Functions: Mad Lib


n You can use the return statement to return a value from a function. You can also use return to end a function that has void as its return type.

n A variables scope determines where the variable can be seen in your program.

n Global variables are accessible from any part of your program. In general, you should try to limit your use of global variables.

n Global constants are accessible from any part of your program. Using global constants can make your program code clearer.

n Default arguments are assigned to a parameter if no value for the param- eter is specified in the function call.

n Function overloading is the process of creating multiple definitions for the same function, each of which has a different set of parameters.

n Function inlining is the process of asking the compiler to inline a functionmeaning that the compiler should make a copy of the function everywhere in the code where the function is called. Inlining very small functions can sometimes yield a performance boost.