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By Params Keyword: You can implement optional parameters by using the params keyword. It allows you to pass any variable number of parameters to a method. But you can use the params keyword for only one parameter and that parameter is the last parameter of the method.
Optional arguments are generally not allowed in C (but they exist in C++ and in Ocaml, etc...). The only exception is variadic functions (like printf ).
Function Declaration A function declaration tells the compiler about the number of parameters function takes, data-types of parameters, and return type of function. Putting parameter names in function declaration is optional in the function declaration, but it is necessary to put them in the definition.
Variadic functions are functions that can take a variable number of arguments. In C programming, a variadic function adds flexibility to the program. It takes one fixed argument and then any number of arguments can be passed.
Here is an example of passing mode as optional parameter
void myfunc(int blah, int mode = 0)
{
if (mode == 0)
do_something();
else
do_something_else();
}
you can call myfunc in both ways and both are valid
myfunc(10); // Mode will be set to default 0
myfunc(10, 1); // Mode will be set to 1
An important rule with respect to default parameter usage:
Default parameters should be specified at right most end, once you specify a default value parameter you cannot specify non default parameter again.
ex:
int DoSomething(int x, int y = 10, int z) -----------> Not Allowed
int DoSomething(int x, int z, int y = 10) -----------> Allowed
It might be interesting to some of you that in case of multiple default parameters:
void printValues(int x=10, int y=20, int z=30)
{
std::cout << "Values: " << x << " " << y << " " << z << '\n';
}
Given the following function calls:
printValues(1, 2, 3);
printValues(1, 2);
printValues(1);
printValues();
The following output is produced:
Values: 1 2 3
Values: 1 2 30
Values: 1 20 30
Values: 10 20 30
Reference: http://www.learncpp.com/cpp-tutorial/77-default-parameters/
To follow the example given here, but to clarify syntax with the use of header files, the function forward declaration contains the optional parameter default value.
myfile.h
void myfunc(int blah, int mode = 0);
myfile.cpp
void myfunc(int blah, int mode) /* mode = 0 */
{
if (mode == 0)
do_something();
else
do_something_else();
}
Use default parameters
template <typename T>
void func(T a, T b = T()) {
std::cout << a << b;
}
int main()
{
func(1,4); // a = 1, b = 4
func(1); // a = 1, b = 0
std::string x = "Hello";
std::string y = "World";
func(x,y); // a = "Hello", b ="World"
func(x); // a = "Hello", b = ""
}
Note : The following are ill-formed
template <typename T>
void func(T a = T(), T b )
template <typename T>
void func(T a, T b = a )
With the introduction of std::optional in C++17 you can pass optional arguments:
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <optional>
void myfunc(const std::string& id, const std::optional<std::string>& param = std::nullopt)
{
std::cout << "id=" << id << ", param=";
if (param)
std::cout << *param << std::endl;
else
std::cout << "<parameter not set>" << std::endl;
}
int main()
{
myfunc("first");
myfunc("second" , "something");
}
Output:
id=first param=<parameter not set>
id=second param=something
See https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/utility/optional
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