Multiple Parameters

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~5 min lesson14 learning blocks2 code examples1 checks/interactions

Lesson outline

Parameter Passing Efficiency

Each parameter passed by value creates a copy. For large objects, this can be costly. General guidelines:

Primitive types (int, char, etc.): pass by value
Small structs: pass by value or const reference
Large objects: pass by const reference
Output parameters: pass by non-const reference (or prefer returning values where appropriate)

Type	Size	Recommended Passing
int, float, bool	Typically small (≤8 bytes)	By value
Small struct	≤16 bytes	By value or const reference
std::string	Implementation-defined (~24–32 bytes with SSO)	By const reference
Large class	>32 bytes	By const reference

Organize parameters from most significant to least significant. Place optional parameters at the end:

When functions require many parameters, consider:

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