Why do some functions name in c write in two lines? [closed] - c++

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Why does List MakeEmpty(List L) have to be written in a form like:
List
MakeEmpty(List L)
in Mark Allens Book?

Answer 1

This is just a matter of styling preference; the command here is the same regardless of whether you write:
List
MakeEmpty(List L)
or
List MakeEmpty(List L)
It really doesn't make a difference besides changing the readability of the code. The author of the book you mentioned may find adding some whitespace more readable compared to the conventional method you compared it to.
One way you can differentiate between whitespace and a real compiling difference is the semicolon. Wherever there is a semicolon, the line terminates. In your case, if there was:
List; // Notice semicolon here
MakeEmpty(List L)
Then this would have changed the code (the syntax is wrong here as it changes the original meaning of the code, but I just wanted to make my point with this example).
Adding whitespace makes the code more readable to the programmer; it adds to the style, especially if it is being presented to a larger audience. The amount of whitespace preferred varies from person to person.
I tried to make the simplest example possible here: the main() function. See the 2 ways I wrote it:
Method 1:
int // Return type of function on different line from function name and arguments for function declaration
main(void)
{
cout << "hello" << endl;
return 0;
}
Method 2:
int main(void) // Return type of function on same line as function name and arguments for function declaration
{
cout << "hello" << endl;
return 0;
}
Just like your function declaration, here, the return value data type's position is changed between the 2 samples of code. However, the output is the same: It outputs hello followed by an endline.
Hope this helps. If I've made a mistake anywhere, or you have further questions, ask me in the comments box.