function prototype


function prototype

In programming, a declaration of a function to the compiler indicating what types of parameters are passed to it and what value is returned. The compiler can then report an error if a function within the program is not written to conform to the prototype. See function.

The following C example is the simplest prototype. The function displays "Hello World" on screen without receiving any parameters or returning any values to the calling instruction. "Void" means "nothing."

Prototype void printHelloWorld(void); Function void printHelloWorld(void) { printf ("Hello World\"); }


Prototypes can be much more complicated as in this C example where five parameters are passed to a graphics function.

 void DrawTransparentBitmap(HDC hdc, HBITMAP hBitmap, int xStart, int yStart, COLORREF cTransparentColor);