The Importance Of Functions In Computer Programming

The Importance Of Functions In Computer Programming



Very few people understand the complexity of computer programming. If you are not in the computer sciences field computer programming may be difficult to understand. Computer programming uses code or computer languages to create a set of instructions for a computer to perform. There are many different uses for computer programs such as calculating your taxes, surfing the Internet or sending email. These programs may seem complex to the lay man, but are created by skillful computer programmers. One important component of all computer programming is the function.



What is a function?

For many programming languages, a function can be an important key concept to learn when someone is interested in software and computer programming. A function can also be called a subroutine, a procedure, a sub-query or a sub-program. A function is simply a piece of code that performs a certain process, that can be reused in other programs.



Why are functions important?

For example, if a company or institution has a library of many different programs, these programs can consist of millions and millions of lines of source code. It is possible that some processes in the code could be duplicated in more than one program. However, it would not make sense to copy the same source code in all the different programs to perform the same purpose.



Why is duplication so undesirable?

If source code is duplicated in many different places, it can cause many problems for the programmer and troubleshooter when things go wrong later on. For instance, if the code has errors, the programmer or troubleshooter will have to correct the code in all the different places that it appears. If the source code has to be updated or improved in order to make the program either run faster or perform more operations, then the source code has to be modified, improved, and updated in all the places that it appears. And if the source code has to be removed and replaced with new source code, then it has to be erased and replaced with the new code in every single place that it appears.


If a function is not used and changes need to be made, it is extrememly time consuming to change the same code in many different programs. Not only is this time consuming but it can lead to many more errors being introduced because of the human intervention. However, if a function is used, then any modifications, updates or changes can be made to one piece of code and it will automatically propogate those changes to all the other calling programs. A function is kind of like an umbrella, there are many different programs covered by it, so it is not necessary to cover each program individually.


Having a single source code serving as the function is also an advantage when you have to write a new program that still makes use of that same source code. Because the source code is already available as an overall function or sub-program, you do not need to add the source code to the new program. You only need to find a way for the new program to interact with the function itself.



Functions provide a way for a programmer to write one piece of reusable code that can then be called from many differnt programs. This is only a brief overview of the importance of functions in computer programming. More detailed information can be found on the Internet or in many books written about computer programming.




Computer programming can be a wonderful career. To learn more about computer programming and about the industry visit How To Become a Computer Progammer.