Header Files in C

Question

I have been reading about C for a while now and decided lets write a little add program, nothing fancy at all. My understanding of C headers is that they are "interfaces" (such as like java and other languages) but where you can also define variable that either have set values or not..

So I wrote this:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include "sample.h"

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    printf("hello World\n");
    add(12, 18);
    return (EXIT_SUCCESS);
}

int add(int a, int b){
    int value = a+b;
    printf("value = %d\n", value);
    return 0;
}

It has a header file that looks like such:

#ifndef SAMPLE_H_GUARD
#define SAMPLE_H_GUARD
int add(int a, int b);
#endif

I thought header files, and this is where I am lost on their definition, was suppose to define the use of add, so all I would have to do is call add - From my understanding, I define the rules of add and then implement the functionality of add....

Also, A lot of the material I have read shows one header file for multiple C files. where as a lot of projects today have one header per one c, meaning Sample.h belongs to Sample.c and nothing else.

Can some one shed some light on this?

Could I have done this like so:

main.c

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include "sample.h"

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    printf("hello World\n");
    add(12, 18);
    return (EXIT_SUCCESS);
}

add.c

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include "sample.h"
int add(int a, int b){
    int value = a+b;
    printf("value = %d\n", value);
    return 0;
}

sample.h

#ifndef SAMPLE_H_GUARD
#define SAMPLE_H_GUARD
int add(int a, int b);
#endif

I believe in the book I was reading: C Programming Language they had a calculator example split up like this, my question is how does C know where add is defined? It knows the rules for it based on the header file, i think, but not where the actual implementation is ....

There example where they split of the files like such doe not have something like #include "add.c" all they do is include the header file in the files that either implement or use this functionality.

Note: obviously the calculator example and my example are going to be different but fundamentally the same - for those who have the book. I am just lost on how to use header files effectively and efficiently.

Answer 1

A header file in C would declare the function add for those modules that need it, but not define the function. The function is still to be defined in its own module (e.g., in your case, add.c).

So in general, to make a function foo available to several modules, you would normally:

• Choose a header file (maybe it's own if there are other associated defines, etc) to declare foo. For example, perhaps foo.h would have void foo(...);

• In some module, perhaps foo.c, you would define the complete function foo.

• In any module that wants to call foo, you would #include "foo.h" (or whatever header you used) and call the function.

• When you compile/link the code, you would make sure all modules, including foo.o or whatever module has foo defined in it, were present.

A declaration, given in the header file, provides (of course) the function name, the function return type as well as listing all the parameters and their types. This is all the compiler needs to know to figure out how to call the function from the calling module. At link time, addresses are all resolved so that the modules then know exactly where the function is in its own particular module.

Answer 2

My understanding of C headers is that they are "interfaces" (such as like java and other languages) but where you can also define variable that either have set values or not..

This is not correct. You cannot "define" variables - well, you can but that will cause multiple definitions error while compiling code if you include header more than once.

Could I have done this like so:

Regarding your code - both variants are correct. C language uses headers to read declarations and hence headers are optional as well. You can have your code split into as many as you want .h and .c files. Compiler will create an object file for each .c file. All .h files included in a c file are basically embedded in that C file "before compilation" i.e. in preprocessing phase. Linker then comes in picture which combines objects to produce the executable.

Please don't hesitate if something is not clear in my answer.