From: Phlip <phlip2005@...>
Date: 2007-07-27T20:35:08+09:00
Subject: Re: How to pass arguments by reference in a function

ashishwave wrote:

> if i pass arguments in a function then they get passed by value.

Ruby supports two kinds of variables; IIRC numbers, characters, booleans,
and nil are "immediate", and everything else is a reference to an object.

The best way to explain this is to look at Ruby's source. A VALUE is the
union of a long and a pointer. Anything small enough to fit in a long is an
immediate value, and everything else uses the pointer to point to a
non-immediate object.

So at function call time, Ruby passes the _VALUE_ by value. So immediates
get copied, and objects get passed by reference.

So, in addition to your other answer, you could also put your referend into
a class, and pass this around. That might fit the ideals of Object Oriented
Programming better than passing immediates would.

-- 
 Phlip
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