What is pass by reference?

Can you explain what pass by reference means in programming?

Sure! Pass by reference is a method of passing arguments to a function where the function receives a reference to the original variable, not a copy.

How does it differ from pass by value?

In pass by value, a copy of the variable is passed, so changes made in the function do not affect the original variable. In pass by reference, changes do affect the original variable.

Can you give me an example of pass by reference?

Certainly! In languages like C++, if you pass a variable to a function using a reference, any modifications to that variable inside the function will change the original variable.

Are there any languages that use pass by reference by default?

Yes, languages like JavaScript and Python use pass by reference for objects, meaning that when you pass an object to a function, you are passing a reference to that object.