Pointers: Please help to understand the code

Can anyone please explain the code: Don't understand why the author declared "z", even though it seems not being used?

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>
void func(float *px, float *py)
{  *px = 3 + 2 * *px;  *py = *py  - 21; }
int main()
{
 float x=0, y=4, z= 1;
int i;
 func(&x, &y);
func(&y, &z);
printf("%f\n",y);
 return 0;
}

---

But it is used. It is passed in the second call to func().

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>

void func(float *px, float *py)
{  *px = 3 + 2 * *px;  *py = *py  - 21; }

int main()
{ 
    float x=0, y=4, z= 1;
    int i; 

    func(&x, &y); 
    func(&y, &z);  

    printf("%f\n",y);

return 0;
}

---

Output I get is -31.000000. Do you know how the program gives it?

Yes, I do.

And, no, I am not going to explain. Apart from the fact this looks like a homework exercise (and this site's homework policy amounts to "You should do your OWN homework, we won't"), you have demonstrated no effort to understand on your own - which says a lot about your laziness, as only a minute or two of your effort would be needed.

Try working it out for yourself. People here can then check, and give constructive advice. If you get it right, you will learn in the doing. If you make mistakes, you will learn by having them corrected. Either way, you will learn more by TRYING.

It's not a homework I'm trying to learn about the pointers which is complicated to me as Im a beginner to C. Just trying to understand the program. Value your advice.

Learn to add print statements and run the code.

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>
void func(float *px, float *py)
{
  *px = 3 + 2 * *px;
  printf("New *px = %f\n", *px );
  *py = *py - 21;
  printf("New *py = %f\n", *py );
}

int main()
{
  float x = 0, y = 4, z = 1;
  int i;
  printf("Old x=%f, y=%f\n", x, y );
  func(&x, &y);
  printf("New x=%f, y=%f\n", x, y );
  func(&y, &z);
  printf("%f\n", y);
  return 0;
}

---

Or learn to use a debugger and step the code.

Code:

---

$ gcc -g foo.c
$ gdb ./a.out
(gdb) break main
Breakpoint 1 at 0x400546: file foo.c, line 10.
(gdb) run
Starting program: /home/sc/Documents/a.out

Breakpoint 1, main () at foo.c:10
10          float x = 0, y = 4, z = 1;
(gdb) s
12          func(&x, &y);
(gdb)
func (px=0x7fffffffe184, py=0x7fffffffe188) at foo.c:4
4          *px = 3 + 2 * *px;
(gdb)
5          *py = *py - 21;
(gdb)
6        }
(gdb) print *px
$1 = 3
(gdb) print *py
$2 = -17
(gdb) s
main () at foo.c:13
13          func(&y, &z);
(gdb) print y
$3 = -17
(gdb) print z
$4 = 1

---

+1 on learning to use gdb. It is actually really intuitive and easy to use.