Leer Passing Arguments by Value/Pointer/Reference | Function Arguments Specification

Pass by value

Variables created inside a function are accessible only within that function. This rule also applies when passing arguments. Parameters in the function signature have local scope and are passed by value, meaning their values are copied into the function and stored in separate variables (just like borrowing a library book instead of taking the original).

main.cpp


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#include <iostream>

// Function that takes an argument by value
void modify(int num)
{
  // Modify the parameter (local copy of the argument)
  num = num * 2;
}

int main()
{
    int number = 5;
    std::cout << "Before function call: " << number << std::endl;

    // Call the function and pass 'number' by value
    modify(number);
    
    // Varibale in the main function remains unchanged
    std::cout << "After function call: " << number << std::endl;
}

Pass by pointer

Passing arguments by value isn’t always efficient. Copying values uses extra memory, and sometimes a function needs to modify the original variable directly. In such cases, it’s better to pass the variable by pointer, which means sending its memory address instead of its value. This is done using the pointer operator (*) in the function parameters.

main.cpp


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#include <iostream>

// Function that takes an argument using pointer
void modify(int* p_num)
{
    // Modify the value at the memory address pointed by `p_num`
    // '*' is used to extract the value from the address (pointer)
    *p_num = (*p_num) * 2;
    std::cout << "Inside function: " << *p_num << std::endl;
}

int main()
{
    int number = 5;
    std::cout << "Before function call: " << number << std::endl;

    // Call the function and pass the address of 'number' using a pointer
    // '&' is used to get an address of the variable
    modify(&number);
    
    // 'number' in the main function is modified through the pointer
    std::cout << "After function call: " << number << std::endl;
}

Pass by reference

Passing by reference means giving a function direct access to a variable’s memory, allowing it to modify the original value without using the dereference operator (*).

Passing by reference uses the & operator in the function parameters. It works similarly to passing by pointer, but with two key differences:

You don’t need to use * to access the variable inside the function.
You don’t need to use & when calling the function, only in its declaration.

main.cpp


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#include <iostream>

// Function that takes an argument by reference
void modify(int& num)
{
    // Modify the parameter directly (no need for dereferencing)
    num = num * 2;
}

int main()
{
    int number = 5;
    std::cout << "Before function call: " << number << std::endl;

    // Call the function and pass `number` by reference
    modify(number);
    
    // `number` in the main function is modified directly through the reference
    std::cout << "After function call: " << number << std::endl;
}

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Pass by value

main.cpp


              1234567891011121314151617181920
            
#include <iostream>

// Function that takes an argument by value
void modify(int num)
{
  // Modify the parameter (local copy of the argument)
  num = num * 2;
}

int main()
{
    int number = 5;
    std::cout << "Before function call: " << number << std::endl;

    // Call the function and pass 'number' by value
    modify(number);
    
    // Varibale in the main function remains unchanged
    std::cout << "After function call: " << number << std::endl;
}

Pass by pointer

main.cpp


              1234567891011121314151617181920212223
            
#include <iostream>

// Function that takes an argument using pointer
void modify(int* p_num)
{
    // Modify the value at the memory address pointed by `p_num`
    // '*' is used to extract the value from the address (pointer)
    *p_num = (*p_num) * 2;
    std::cout << "Inside function: " << *p_num << std::endl;
}

int main()
{
    int number = 5;
    std::cout << "Before function call: " << number << std::endl;

    // Call the function and pass the address of 'number' using a pointer
    // '&' is used to get an address of the variable
    modify(&number);
    
    // 'number' in the main function is modified through the pointer
    std::cout << "After function call: " << number << std::endl;
}

Pass by reference

Passing by reference means giving a function direct access to a variable’s memory, allowing it to modify the original value without using the dereference operator (*).

Passing by reference uses the & operator in the function parameters. It works similarly to passing by pointer, but with two key differences:

You don’t need to use * to access the variable inside the function.
You don’t need to use & when calling the function, only in its declaration.

main.cpp


              1234567891011121314151617181920
            
#include <iostream>

// Function that takes an argument by reference
void modify(int& num)
{
    // Modify the parameter directly (no need for dereferencing)
    num = num * 2;
}

int main()
{
    int number = 5;
    std::cout << "Before function call: " << number << std::endl;

    // Call the function and pass `number` by reference
    modify(number);
    
    // `number` in the main function is modified directly through the reference
    std::cout << "After function call: " << number << std::endl;
}

Was alles duidelijk?

Bedankt voor je feedback!

Sectie 2. Hoofdstuk 2