Attempting to print in C when creating functions - c

Question

I am running this code, and the print commands are not actually resulting in any printing. Can anyone please advise? I do have a couple of comments at the end that will preface my two other functions, but for now, I am just interested in knowing why the prints aren't appearing even though my code doesn't show any errors.
Thanks!
# include <cs50.h>
# include <stdio.h>
int length(long number);
int start_chars(long number);
//Main
int main (void)
{
long number = get_long("Number: ");
int length(long number);
int start_chars(long number);
}
//Number length count
int length(long number)
{
int len = 0;
do
{
len ++;
number /= 10;
}
while (number > 0);
return len;
printf("Length: %d", len);
}
//Number first characters
int start_chars(long number)
{
long charsnum = number;
while (charsnum >= 100)
{
charsnum /= 10;
}
return charsnum;
printf("First 2 digits: %ld", charsnum);
}
//Length & character count congruity
//Checksum

Answer 1

A function is terminated immediately after the return statement.
Your printing statement is after the return statement in those functions. That is why, they don't appear when you run the code.
So, put them before the return statement and you should be able to see them in the output. Moreover, for some clean output, do use \n inside those printf.
Then, inside your main function, look at these statements:
int length(long number);
int start_chars(long number);
Those are function declarations and not how functions are called in C. Store the return value in a variable. Since you just want to see those printf statements get executed, change that to:
length(number);
start_chars(number);

Answer 2

when you use return in your functions they will end immediately.
and so your printf line won't be executed.
printf should be before return.

Answer 3

Like the answers above, you made an error in your code where you are printing after the return statement.
Here is the correct code :
# include <cs50.h>
# include <stdio.h>
int length(long number);
int start_chars(long number);
//Main
int main (void)
{
long number = get_long("Number: ");
int length(long number);
int start_chars(long number);
}
//Number length count
int length(long number)
{
int len = 0;
do
{
len ++;
number /= 10;
}
while (number > 0);
printf("Length: %d", len);
return len;
}
//Number first characters
int start_chars(long number)
{
long charsnum = number;
while (charsnum >= 100)
{
charsnum /= 10;
}
printf("First 2 digits: %ld", charsnum);
return charsnum;
}
//Length & character count congruity
//Checksum