Parse or Pass?

[A.T.Hofkamp]

On 2007-09-05, Martin P. Hellwig <mhellwig at xs4all.nl> wrote:
> Martin v. Löwis wrote:
> Eingeben = <Giving in> Input: (A bit of) data from outside the function
> Ausgeben = <Giving out> Output: (A bit of) data to display, network 
> connection or file
> Zurückgeben = <Giving back> Return: (altered)(bits of) data (from Input) 
> to Output
>
> Can I assume that Return in general always means that the particular 
> function has exited with that? If not what is the difference then 
> between Output and Return?

It depends on your point of view imho.

You can describe a function call from 'outside', ie I give it values for its
parameters, and it returns me a computed return value.
You can describe the same thing from 'inside', ie I get values from my caller,
compute a result, and output the result.

> And then we have "Übergeben" which translates to throughput (giving 
> over), which in my view is just something that gets data in and puts it 
> out, contextually unaltered.  But would that do that with exiting the 

I would consider this yet another view, namely performance. Function calls are
stil happening, but you focus more on the #calls/second, ie throughput.


So depending on what one is interested in, I think, one structures and
describes what is happening in a different way.
Wouldn't that be a possible explanation for all the subtle different ways of
describing the same thing?

Albert