arg

2 definitions found

arg - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  argument
  arg
  
     <programming> (Or "arg") A value or reference passed to a
     function, procedure, subroutine, command or program, by
     the caller.  For example, in the function definition
  
     	square(x) = x * x
  
     x is the formal argument or "parameter", and in the call
  
     	y = square(3+4)
  
     3+4 is the actual argument.  This will execute the function
     square with x having the value 7 and return the result 49.
  
     There are many different conventions for passing arguments to
     functions and procedures including call-by-value,
     call-by-name, call-by-reference, call-by-need.  These
     affect whether the value of the argument is computed by the
     caller or the callee (the function) and whether the callee can
     modify the value of the argument as seen by the caller (if it
     is a variable).
  
     Arguments to functions are usually, following mathematical
     notation, written in parentheses after the function name,
     separated by commas (but see curried function).  Arguments
     to a program are usually given after the command name,
     separated by spaces, e.g.:
  
     	cat myfile yourfile hisfile
  
     Here "cat" is the command and "myfile", "yourfile", and
     "hisfile" are the arguments.
  
     (2006-05-27)
  

arg - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  arg
   /arg/, n.
  
     Abbreviation for `argument' (to a function), used so often as to have
     become a new word (like `piano' from `pianoforte'). "The sine
  function
     takes 1 arg, but the arc-tangent function can take either 1 or 2
     args." Compare param, parm, var.