Developer Dictionary
Parameter
Definition
A special kind of variable used in a subroutine to refer to one of the pieces of data provided as input to the subroutine.
Deep Dive
A parameter is a special kind of variable used in the definition of a subroutine, function, or method, designed to receive one of the pieces of data provided as input to that routine. It acts as a placeholder that specifies what kind of information the routine expects to receive when it's called. Parameters make functions reusable and flexible, allowing them to perform the same operation on different sets of data without needing to be rewritten for each specific case.
Examples & Use Cases
- 1In a function defined `def greet(name):`, `name` is the parameter that specifies the function expects a name
- 2In an API endpoint like `/users/{id}`, `{id}` represents a parameter for the user's identifier
- 3The `options` object passed to a JavaScript function like `fetch(url, options)`.
Related Terms
ArgumentFunction SignatureVariable