Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 24 Hours, Third Edition

What Is a Function?

A function is, in effect, a subprogram that can act on data and return a value. Every C++ program has at least one function, main(). When your program starts, main() is called automatically. main() might call other functions, some of which might call still others.

Each function has its own name, and when that name is encountered, the execution of the program branches off to the first statement of that function and continues until a return statement or the end of that function. When the function returns, execution resumes on the next line of the calling function. This flow is illustrated in Figure 5.1.

Figure 5.1. When a program calls a function, execution switches to the function and then resumes at the line after the function ...