Variables, References, Pointers

Overview

Variables

• are identifiers associated with memory
• must be declared before used
• can be uninitialized
• can be initialized with a value
• can be assigned a value

Variable (basic)

Reference variable

Pointer variable

Parameter Passing

actual parameter = parameter value (argument)

formal parameter = parameter variable (parameter)

Java - all parameters are pass-by-value

C++ - has three ways to do parameter passing:

Which way is specified in the function's header (prototype):

Pass-by-value

• formal parameter gets a copy of the actual parameter's value

Pass-by-reference

• formal parameter gets a reference to the actual parameter

Pass-by-const-reference

• formal parameter gets a reference to the actual parameter but the actual parameter cannot be changed by the function