The keyword for building functions is shughuli.
A function definition/declaration consists of:
- The name of the function
- A list of parameters to the function, enclosed in the parentheses and separated by commas.
- The swahili statements that define a function, enclosed in curly brackets
{...}
For Example:
shughuli Salimu(jina) {
andika("Habari, " + jina)
}
The function Salimu takes one parameter called jina. The function consists of one statement that says to return the concatenated string Habari and the parameter passed into jina.
Defining a function does not execute it. Defining simply names the function and specifies what to do when the function is called.
Calling the function actually performs what the functions specified with the indicated parameters. For Example:
Salimu("Wendo")
The preceding statement calls the function with an argument "Wendo". Once it executes, it returns the value "Habari, Wendo"
Variable defined inside a function cannot be accessed outside the function because the variable defined is only in the scope of the function. However, a function can access all the variables and functions defined inside the scope in which it is defined
In other words, a function defined in the global scope can access all variables defined in the global scope. A function defined inside another function can also access all variables defined in its parent function, and any other variables to which the parent function has access.
A function can refer to and call itself.
For Example:
wacha foo = shughuli bar(){
}
Within the function body, the following are equivalent
- bar()
- foo()
A function that calls itself is called a recursive function. Both execute the same code multiple times, and both require a condition (to avoid an infinite loop, or rather, infinite recursion in this case).