Thread: strange strange functions

hi
actually im reading a book about C.
in this book there is a lesson called functions.
i guess that n is going to be the exponent of m so far.

the following code is directly from the book:

Code:

#include<stdio.h>

int power ( int m, int n);

main ()
{
   int i;
   for (i=0; i<10;++i)
   	printf("%d %d %d\n", i, power(2, i), power(-3, i));
   return 0;
}
int power(int base, int n)
{
   int i, p;

   p=1;
   for(i=n;i<=n;++i)
   	p = p * base;
   return p;
}

i need help with this code because i dont understand it.
an explanation of the whole code line by line would be very appreciated.

threadhead

i found the bug hammer

this for statement is useless.
because 'i' is setted equal to n so he cant enhance the value.


i still dont understand why there are other vars in the prototype than in the function. shouldnt they be the same?

i dont understand why to take excatly these variables like i, p, base and n.
and why has the function power to return p??
doesnt the following line declare that ie 2 has the exponent i and -3 too? so only the output is written down in main and the arithmetic is declared in power.

you see the more i write about functions the more i understand them, keep helping me

Code:

printf("%d %d %d\n", i, power(2, i), power(-3, i));

another question would be, why p is declared as 'p * base' in power. i thought parameter names were local to power and not visible to other functions....

sorry to be a bit annoying, but if i am not annoying to you, ill never understand this.

that was a big step forward for me

thanks