无法在用户定义的函数中调用库函数

我正在 c 中创建 strcmp() 的用户定义函数。

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
int la,lb;    // la and lb for length of 2 strings
 
int scompare(char [],char []);

int main() {

 char a[50],b[50];     // a and b are 2 strings

printf("Enter 2 strings \n");
gets(a);
gets(b);
la =strlen(a);
lb =strlen(b);
printf("%d",scompare(a,b));

 }
 int scompare(char a[la],char b[lb])
   {
     for(int i=0 ;i<max(la,lb);i++)
     { // loop for comparing characters of 2 strings

       // here in vs code it is showing error --->
       // warning: implicit declaration of function 'max' [-Wimplicit-function-declaration]

for(int i=0 ;i<max(la,lb);i++)

         int k = a[i]-b[i];// k is the sum of ascii of characters of a and b
   
         if(k!=0 &&toupper(a[i])==toupper(b[i]))
         return (k>0)?1:-1;

         // other error is showing here in function toupper --->  warning: implicit declaration of function 'toupper' [-Wimplicit-function-declaration]

if(k!=0 &&toupper(a[i])==toupper(b[i])) 

         else if(k!=0)
        return k;
    
    }
  return 0;
 }