Formal parameter: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
imported>Nick Johnson (Changed links to "Foo programming language" into "Foo (programming language)") |
mNo edit summary |
||
(One intermediate revision by one other user not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{subpages}} | |||
In [[computer science]], a '''formal parameter''' is a name by which a subroutine refers to one of its parameters. This is not to be confused with an [[actual parameter]], which is the name or value passed to the function by the caller. For example, in [[C (programming language)|C]], | In [[computer science]], a '''formal parameter''' is a name by which a subroutine refers to one of its parameters. This is not to be confused with an [[actual parameter]], which is the name or value passed to the function by the caller. For example, in [[C (programming language)|C]], | ||
Line 16: | Line 18: | ||
The subroutine bar() calls foo(). When bar() calls foo(), it passes the constant 1. Within bar(), 1 is an actual parameter to foo(). Within foo(), a is a formal parameter which references the actual parameter 1 from bar(). | The subroutine bar() calls foo(). When bar() calls foo(), it passes the constant 1. Within bar(), 1 is an actual parameter to foo(). Within foo(), a is a formal parameter which references the actual parameter 1 from bar().[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]] | ||
[[Category: | |||
Latest revision as of 17:01, 17 August 2024
![](http://s9.addthis.com/button1-share.gif)
In computer science, a formal parameter is a name by which a subroutine refers to one of its parameters. This is not to be confused with an actual parameter, which is the name or value passed to the function by the caller. For example, in C,
int foo(int a)
{
int b = 5;
return a + b;
}
int bar(void)
{
return foo(1);
}
The subroutine bar() calls foo(). When bar() calls foo(), it passes the constant 1. Within bar(), 1 is an actual parameter to foo(). Within foo(), a is a formal parameter which references the actual parameter 1 from bar().