Functions

Visual Basic Functions

A function is a preprogrammed calculation .It can be carried out on request from any point in a Visual Basic program.

A function takes one or more arguments and returns a single value and it can be included in an expression.

Argument:

It is a value on which a function or procedure operates.

For example, in the Visual Basic statement Str(10),

number 10 is the argument.

Visual Basic includes built-in functions like Sqr, Cos or Chr etc.We are discussing some of them here:

(1) Sqr()

Returns a Double specifying the square root of a number.

Syntax

Sqr(number)

(2) ABS()

Returns the absolute, positive value of the given numeric expression.

Syntax

ABS(numeric_expression)

Arguments

numeric_expression

Is an expression of the exact numeric or approximate numeric data type category.

Return Types

Returns same type as numeric_expression.

(3) POWER()

Returns value of given expression to the specified power.

Syntax

POWER(numeric_expression, y)

Arguments

numeric_expression

Is an expression of the exact numeric or approximate numeric data type category.

y Is the power to which to raise numeric_expression. y can be an expression of the exact numeric or approximate numeric data type category.

(4) FLOOR ()

Returns largest integer less than or equal to the given numeric expression.

Syntax

FLOOR(numeric_expression)

Arguments

numeric_expression

Is an expression of exact numeric or approximate numeric data type category. Return Types

Returns the same type as numeric_expression.

For Example:

FLOOR(122.45), Return value=122

FLOOR(-123.45) ,Return value=124

(5) Round()

Returns a numeric expression, rounded to the specified length or precision.

Syntax

ROUND (numeric_expression, length)

Arguments

numeric_expression

Is an expression of the exact numeric or approximate numeric data type category.

length Is the precision to which numeric_expression is to be rounded. length must be int.

When length is a positive number, numeric_expression is rounded to the number of decimal places specified by length.

When length is a negative number, numeric_expression is rounded on the left side of the decimal point, as specified by length.

Return Types

Returns the same type as numeric_expression.

For Example:

Round(123.4545,2) ,Return Value=123.4500

(6) SQUARE()

Returns the square of given expression.

Syntax

SQUARE(float_expression)

Arguments

float_expression

Is an expression of type float.

Return Types

float

(7) PI ()

Returns the constant value of PI.

Syntax

PI()

Return Types

float

(8) SIGN ()

Returns the positive (+1), zero (0), or negative (-1) sign of the given expression.

Syntax

SIGN(numeric_expression)

Arguments

numeric_expression

Is an expression of the exact numeric or approximate numeric data type category.

Return Types

Float

(9) LOG10 ()

Returns the base-10 logarithm of the given float expression.

Syntax

LOG10(float_expression)

Arguments

float_expression

Is an expression of the float data type.

Return Types

Float

(10) RAND ()

Returns a random float value between 0 and 1.

Syntax

RAND([seed])

Arguments

seed

Is an integer expression (int) giving the starting value.

Return Types

float