Is there a difference between a "parameter" and an "argument", or are they simply synonyms?
Argument is often used in the sense of actual argument vs. formal parameter.
The formal parameter is what is given in the function declaration/definition/prototype, while the actual argument is what is passed when calling the function — an instance of a formal parameter, if you will.
That being said, they are often used interchangeably, their exact use depending on different programming languages and their communities. For example, I have also heard actual parameter etc.
So here, x
and y
would be formal parameters:
int foo(int x, int y) {
...
}
Whereas here, in the function call, 5 and z
are the actual arguments:
foo(5, z);