A function prototype is a function declaration that specifies the data types of its arguments in the parameter list.
a function prototype or function interface is a declaration of a function that specifies the function's name and type signature (arity, parametertypes, and return type), but omits the function body.
Prototypes are syntactically distinguished from the old style of function declaration.
While a function definition specifies how the function does what it does (the "implementation"), a function prototype merely specifies its interface, i.e. what data types go in and come out of it.
In a prototype, parameter names are optional (and in C/C++ have function prototype scope, meaning their scope ends at the end of the prototype), however, the type is necessary along with all modifiers.
The two styles can be mixed for any single function, but this is not recommended. The following is a comparison of the old and the prototype styles of declaration:
Old style:
Functions can be declared implicitly by their appearance in a call.
Arguments to functions undergo the default conversions before the call.
The number and type of arguments are not checked.
Prototype style:
Functions are declared explicitly with a prototype before they are called.
Multiple declarations must be compatible, parameter types must agree exactly.
Arguments to functions are converted to the declared types of the parameters.
Empty parameter lists are designated using the void keyword.
Ellipses are used in the parameter list of a prototype to indicate that a variable number of parameters are expected.
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