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copied!<p>I really think you will benefit from establishing the following function calling coding guidelines:</p> <ol> <li><p>As in all other places, always be <code>const</code>-correct.</p> <ul> <li>Note: This means, among other things, that only out-values (see item 3) and values passed by value (see item 4) can lack the <code>const</code> specifier.</li> </ul></li> <li><p>Only pass a value by pointer if the value 0/NULL is a valid input in the current context.</p> <ul> <li><p>Rationale 1: As <strong>a caller</strong>, you see that whatever you pass in <em>must be</em> in a usable state.</p></li> <li><p>Rationale 2: As <strong>called</strong>, you know that whatever comes in <em>is</em> in a usable state. Hence, no NULL-check or error handling needs to be done for that value.</p></li> <li><p>Rationale 3: Rationales 1 and 2 will be <em>compiler enforced</em>. Always catch errors at compile time if you can.</p></li> </ul></li> <li><p>If a function argument is an out-value, then pass it by reference.</p> <ul> <li>Rationale: We don't want to break item 2...</li> </ul></li> <li><p>Choose "pass by value" over "pass by const reference" only if the value is a POD (<a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/146452/what-are-pod-types-in-c">Plain old Datastructure</a>) or small enough (memory-wise) or in other ways cheap enough (time-wise) to copy.</p> <ul> <li>Rationale: Avoid unnecessary copies.</li> <li>Note: <em>small enough</em> and <em>cheap enough</em> are not absolute measurables.</li> </ul></li> </ol>

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