CppCon 2018

How many different ways are there to pass an argument? Why do we have so many? Which way should you be using? What does it mean when you use the wrong one?

A function declaration is like the thesis statement in an essay. It should communicate both for the caller and the callee it's purpose, semantics, and side-effects. We often think this communication is in the form of comments, but a function's arguments also convey this information.

This talk will catalog many the different ways to pass arguments. We will then explore which ones are redundant or nonsensical, and give meaning to the ones that remain. We will end with recommendations what types to use to express your intent, and empower you with fundamentals to write clearer function definitions.