ActivePerl Subroutines

Introduction
This is part 12 of my series, Basics of ActivePerl. Now, a Function is a set of statements that perform a specific task. When you will get to writing programs, you will realize that programs are very long. You will realize that there are groups of statements that will have to be doing the same task in different parts of the code (program). You do not need to type this group of statements in different parts of the code. You can type it once, and then call it wherever it is needed in the code.

We have seen some functions before. An example of a function we have seen is the print function. The functions we have seen so far are functions that are predefined in the ActivePerl Interpreter. You can write your own function to do what you want. Such functions are called user-defined functions. In Perl or ActivePerl, a function is called a subroutine. In this article I explain the basics of ActivePerl user-defined subroutines.

Note: If you cannot see the code or if you think anything is missing (broken link, image absent), just contact me at forchatrans@yahoo.com. That is, contact me for the slightest problem you have about what you are reading.

Defining Subroutines
The group of statements to perform a particular task forms the subroutine, however you need to group them in a particular way. By doing this, we say you are defining a subroutine in ActivePerl. This process can actually be split into two. One phase is called, declaring the subroutine and another phase is called, defining the subroutine. For this tutorial and for basic ActivePerl programming, we shall use a single process, which is defining the subroutine.

A subroutine definition consists of the following in the order given

- The reserved word, sub.
- The name of the subroutine.
- The statements that define the subroutine, enclosed in curly braces. The statements in a subroutine can have among them calls to other subroutines defined in the current program (application).

Note: another name for reserved word is keyword.

Example
In the following example, we define a subroutine that will add two numbers, find the square of the sum and then return the result.

sub mySub
{
my $num1 = 2;
my $num2 = 3;

my $sum = $num1 + $num2;
my $square = $sum * $sum;

return $square;
}

The subroutine begins with the reserved word, sub. The name of the subroutine is mySub. This is followed by parentheses. Then you have the block, delimited by { and }. In the block, you have the declaration and assignment of the two numbers. The third statement in the block sums the two numbers. The fourth statement squares the sum. The last statement returns the square to the statement that would call the subroutine, outside the subroutine. The reserved word, return, is used for this. It is followed by a variable or a literal. Not all subroutines end with the return instruction (statement). Some subroutines just perform a task and do not return anything.

Calling a Subroutine
You call a subroutine by just typing the name of the subroutine, optionally followed by parentheses, in a statement. The following code illustrates this. Read and try it:

use strict;

print "Content-Type: text/html\n\n";

sub mySub
{
my $num1 = 2;
my $num2 = 3;

my $sum = $num1 + $num2;
my $square = $sum * $sum;

return $square;
}

my $result = mySub();
print $result;

This code is similar to the previous with the addition of the two last statements. The last-but-one statement calls the subroutine. This statement call is outside the subroutine. The right operand of the statement is "mySub()". It is this expression that calls the subroutine. When it calls the subroutine, it receives the value returned by the return statement in the subroutine. This value is now assigned to the variable, $result. The last statement displays the result.

A subroutine call does not always have to assign a return value to a variable. Subroutines that do not have return values are called by just typing the name, followed by parentheses (then semicolon, to form a statement).

The last-but-one statement in the code is:

my $result = mySub();

mySub() is the function call. In ActivePerl, the parentheses are optional. You can call a function without typing the parentheses. However, it is good practice to type them, as this is required in other languages; a programmer knows more than one computer language. Also, you can have space between the function name and the parentheses; the space is optional.

Parameters and Arguments
Now, in the above subroutine we can only deal with two particular numbers, which are 2 and 3. This is a disadvantage. If we declare (create) and assign the variables outside the subroutine, then we can always change the values of the variables, then send the variables to the subroutine before the subroutine is executed. In this way, we shall be able to deal with many other pairs of numbers. The following example illustrates this:

use strict;

print "Content-Type: text/html\n\n";

my $num1 = 4;
my $num2 = 5;

sub mySub
{
my $sum = $_[0] + $_[1];
my $square = $sum * $sum;

return $square;
}

my $result = mySub($num1, $num2);
print $result;

Read and try the above code (the explanation follows). This time the variables have been declared and assigned outside the subroutine. Some other subroutine elsewhere in the code can actually change these values. However, a subroutine cannot change the value of a variable inside some other subroutine (everything being equal).

In the last-but-one statement, where the subroutine is called; the parentheses have two variables. These variables in this position are called Arguments. These arguments of the subroutine are the variables declared outside the subroutine. The arguments to a subroutine call, can be literals, something like:

my $result = mySub(4, 5);

Any subroutine definition block, has an array called, @_ . The name of the array is _ ; it is preceded by @ since it is an array. This array is not seen by you the programmer, but you can use it. As soon as the execution of the subroutine (block) starts, the arguments sent to the subroutine become the elements of this array, in the order sent. In the above code, the argument, $num1 which is 4, becomes the value of $_[0]. The other argument, $num2, which is 5 becomes the value of $_[1]. This explains the first statement in the sub routine block above. Read the code again.

The Predefined print function
We have been using the print function, passing only one argument each time we called it. You can actually pass more than one argument. Separate the arguments with comma as in the following code:

use strict;

print "Content-Type: text/html\n\n";

print ("one", "
", "two", "
", "three");

Try the above code. There are actually five arguments in the list. Each of the argument is a literal. Do not forget that the parentheses are optional for the print and other predefined functions, as well as for the ones you define.

Hey, you can use variables in place of the literals (see how below).

Variables in Strings
If a string is in double quotes and it has as part of its content, a variable, the value of that variable will be displayed, in the case of the print function. For another function or in just a statement, the value will replace the variable. However, if the string is in single quotes, then the name of the variable will be displayed and not the value of the variable, in the case of the print function. For another function or statement, the value of the variable will still not replace the variable name, as long as you are using single quotes. Read and try the following code:

use strict;

print "Content-Type: text/html\n\n";

my $var = "good";

print "This is a $var man.", "
";
print 'This is a $var man.';

The first print statement displays "good" in place of $var, because it has double quotes. The second print statement displays $var and not the value, because it has single quotes.

Let us stop here and continue in the next part.

Chrys