C++ Primer, Fifth Edition

6.2. Argument Passing

As we’ve seen, each time we call a function, its parameters are created and initialized by the arguments passed in the call.

Note

Parameter initialization works the same way as variable initialization.

As with any other variable, the type of a parameter determines the interaction between the parameter and its argument. If the parameter is a reference (§ 2.3.1, p. 50), then the parameter is bound to its argument. Otherwise, the argument’s value is copied.

When a parameter is a reference, we say that its corresponding argument ...