Return values in C++ - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Return values

📖 Scenario: Imagine you are creating a simple calculator program that adds two numbers and returns the result.

🎯 Goal: Build a program that defines a function to add two numbers and returns the sum. Then, use this function to get the result and display it.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a function called add that takes two integers as parameters

The add function must return the sum of the two integers

Call the add function with the numbers 7 and 5

Store the returned value in a variable called result

Print the value of result

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Functions that return values are used everywhere in programming to get results from calculations or data processing.

💼 Career

Understanding return values is essential for software development jobs, as it helps you write clear and reusable code.

1

Create the add function

Write a function called add that takes two integers named a and b and returns their sum.

C++

#include 

// Write the add function here

int main() {
    return 0;
}

Need a hint?

Define a function with return type int named add that returns a + b.

2

Call the add function and store the result

Inside the main function, call the add function with arguments 7 and 5 and store the returned value in an integer variable called result.

C++

#include 

int add(int a, int b) {
    return a + b;
}

int main() {
    // Call add with 7 and 5 and store in result
    
    return 0;
}

Need a hint?

Use int result = add(7, 5); inside main.

3

Print the result

Add a line inside main to print the value of result using std::cout.

C++

#include 

int add(int a, int b) {
    return a + b;
}

int main() {
    int result = add(7, 5);
    // Print the result
    
    return 0;
}

Need a hint?

Use std::cout << result << std::endl; to print the value.

4

Run the program and see the output

Run the program. It should print the sum of 7 and 5, which is 12.

C++

#include 

int add(int a, int b) {
    return a + b;
}

int main() {
    int result = add(7, 5);
    std::cout << result << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

// Run the program to see the output

Need a hint?

The program should print 12 because 7 + 5 = 12.