Function

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 What is a Function?

• A function is a reusable piece or

block of code that performs a
specific action.
Syntax: • Functions can either return values
when called or can simply perform
an operation without returning any
function functionName() value.
{ • PHP has over 700 functions built in
code to be executed; that perform different tasks.
} • A function name can start with a
letter or underscore (not a number).

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 Advantages of functions

• Functions reduces the repetition of code within a program — Function allows you to
extract commonly used block of code into a single component. Now you can perform the
same task by calling this function wherever you want within your script without having to copy
and paste the same block of code again and again.
• Functions makes the code much easier to maintain — Since a function created once can
be used many times, so any changes made inside a function automatically implemented at
all the places without touching the several files.
• Functions makes it easier to eliminate the errors — When the program is subdivided into
functions, if any error occur you know exactly what function causing the error and where to
find it. Therefore, fixing errors becomes much easier.
• Functions can be reused in other application — Because a function is separated from the
rest of the script, it's easy to reuse the same function in other applications just by including
the php file containing those functions.

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 Function types
Built-in Functions
• Built in functions are functions that
exist in PHP installation package.
• These built in functions are what
make PHP a very efficient and
productive scripting language.
• The built in functions can be classified
into many categories. Below is the list
of the categories.
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User-Defined Functions
• A function is a block of statements that
can be used repeatedly in a program.
• A function will not execute immediately
when a page loads.
• A function will be executed by a call to
the function.
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 Function Arguments
Information can be passed to functions
through arguments. An argument is just like
a variable.

Arguments are specified after the function

name, inside the parentheses. You can add
as many arguments as you want, just
separate them with a comma. 4

The following example has a function with

one argument ($fname). When the
familyName() function is called, we also
pass along a name (e.g. Jani), and the
name is used inside the function, which
outputs several different first names, but an
equal last name

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 Default Argument Value
The example shows how to use a
5 default parameter. If we call the
function setHeight() without
arguments it takes the default value as
argument

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 Functions - Returning
values
To let a function return a value, use the
return statement 6

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