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Has anyone run across an official definition of argument and parameter
for Java?
--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
The Java Glossary
http://mindprod.com

On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:38:31 +0100, Roedy Green
<> wrote:

> Has anyone run across an official definition of argument and parameter
> for Java?

Not specifically for Java, but the only interpretation I've seen that
doesn't use the terms interchangeably is that an argument is a specific
instance of a parameter.

E.g, in the following example, the parameter for doSomething is anInteger
and the argument is 4.

public static void doSomething(int anInteger)
{
System.out.println("The argument was " + anInteger);
}

public static void main(String[] s)
{
doSomething(4);
}

Dan.

--
Daniel Dyer
http://www.uncommons.org

Roedy Green wrote On 10/25/07 11:38,:
> Has anyone run across an official definition of argument and parameter
> for Java?

JLS 8.4.1 defines "formal parameter" and refers to
"actual argument expressions" that supply the initial
values of the "parameter variables." This is consistent
with the practice in some other languages: The parameter
is the local variable in the method/function/subroutine/
procedure/lambda expression/whatever, and the argument
is the caller-supplied value/reference/thingy.

--

On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:29:06 -0400, Eric Sosman <>
wrote, quoted or indirectly quoted someone who said :

> JLS 8.4.1 defines "formal parameter" and refers to
>"actual argument expressions" that supply the initial
>values of the "parameter variables." This is consistent
>with the practice in some other languages: The parameter
>is the local variable in the method/function/subroutine/
>procedure/lambda expression/whatever, and the argument
>is the caller-supplied value/reference/thingy.

thanks. I have written new entries for
http://mindprod.com/jgloss/parameters.html
http://mindprod.com/jgloss/arguments.html
--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
The Java Glossary
http://mindprod.com

Roedy Green wrote:
> On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:29:06 -0400, Eric Sosman <>
> wrote, quoted or indirectly quoted someone who said :
>
>> JLS 8.4.1 defines "formal parameter" and refers to
>> "actual argument expressions" that supply the initial
>> values of the "parameter variables." This is consistent
>> with the practice in some other languages: The parameter
>> is the local variable in the method/function/subroutine/
>> procedure/lambda expression/whatever, and the argument
>> is the caller-supplied value/reference/thingy.
>
> thanks. I have written new entries for
> http://mindprod.com/jgloss/parameters.html
> http://mindprod.com/jgloss/arguments.html

The terms are interchangeable. But I'm sure we could
have a long parameter on this subject.

-Wayne

Wayne wrote:
...
>The terms are interchangeable. But I'm sure we could
>have a long parameter on this subject.

(chuckle)

--
Andrew Thompson
http://www.athompson.info/andrew/

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Andrew Thompson wrote:
> Wayne wrote:
> ..
>> The terms are interchangeable. But I'm sure we could
>> have a long parameter on this subject.
>
> (chuckle)
>

Yeah that was a good one. I was going to say that Java methods have
parameters and arguments are what we have here.

Mark Space wrote:
> Yeah that was a good one. I was going to say that Java methods have
> parameters and arguments are what we have here.

Must ... not ... quote ... Monty Python ... ... must ... resist . . . .

--
Lew

Lew <> wrote:
> Mark Space wrote:
>> Yeah that was a good one. I was going to say that Java methods have
>> parameters and arguments are what we have here.
> Must ... not ... quote ... Monty Python ... ... must ... resist . . . .
no!

Lew wrote:
>> Yeah that was a good one. I was going to say that Java methods have
>> parameters and arguments are what we have here.
>
>Must ... not ... quote ... Monty Python ... ... must ... resist . . . .

I hate to admit this, but I am not entirely sure of the
Monty Python quote you are referring to, and I'm burning
with curiosity.

The only sketch I can think of that comes close, is the
'I want an argument' sketch.

<poorly paraphrased MP>
"Oh, I'm sorry, ..you wanted an argument? This is 'abuse'."
</poorly paraphrased MP>

--
Andrew Thompson
http://www.athompson.info/andrew/

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