Parameter Passing

Definitions

1. The mechanism by which arguments are transferred from a caller to a function. Common strategies include pass-by-value (the function receives a copy), pass-by-reference (the function receives a direct alias to the original), and pass-by-object-reference (Java, Python — the function receives a copy of the reference to the same heap object).

   In plain English: The rules for how data is handed into a function — whether the function gets its own copy or a link to the original.

   Example: "The struct was being passed by value, so the function was copying 2 MB of data on every call — switching to a pointer fixed the latency spike."

Related Terms

• Arity
• Lambda Function
• Mutable
• Operator Precedence
• Pass by Reference
• Pass by Value
• Reference
• Return Type
• Composable Function