What are the advantages and disadvantages of pass-by-value and pass-by-reference?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of pass-by-value and pass-by-reference?

Pass-by-value copies the actual value, while pass-by-reference copies the reference to the variable. Pass-by-value is safer as it prevents accidental changes to the original data, but it can be less efficient for large data structures. Pass-by-reference is more efficient but can lead to unintended side effects if the original data is modified.

Can you give examples of when to use each method?

Sure! Use pass-by-value when dealing with simple data types like integers or booleans, where safety is a priority. Use pass-by-reference for large objects or arrays when performance is critical, and you need to modify the original data.

What are the potential pitfalls of using pass-by-reference?

The main pitfalls include unintentional modifications to the original data, which can lead to bugs that are hard to trace. It can also make the code less readable and harder to maintain.

Is there a way to avoid these pitfalls?

Yes, you can use techniques like creating copies of the data before passing it or using immutable data structures to prevent changes to the original data.