What's the difference between "var" and "out" parameters?

58
votes

What's the difference between parameters declared with var and those declared with out? How does the compiler treat them differently (e.g., by generating different code, or by changing which diagnostics it issues)? Or do the different modifiers merely allow the programmer to document intended use of the parameters? What effect do the types of the parameters have on the matter?

3
delphiparameterspass-by-reference
I have always had the same question, never bothered to ask though. – Jerry Dodge
Me too. I've actually run into this problem, so I would like a really good answer to this one. – Glenn1234
Documentation makes it pretty clear, IMO: docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/XE3/en/… – ain
@ain It is clear. It's just incorrect. It's only accurate for managed types. – David Heffernan
maybe asking Embarcadero will make the difference... – RBA

3 Answers

47
votes

A var parameter will be passed by reference, and that's it.

An out parameter is also passed by reference, but it's assumed that the input value is irrelevant. For managed types, (strings, Interfaces, etc,) the compiler will enforce this, by clearing the variable before the routine begins, equivalent to writing param := nil. For unmanaged types, the compiler implements out identically to var.

Note that the clearing of a managed parameter is performed at the call-site and so the code generated for the function does not vary with out or var parameters.

11
votes

There is not much difference, for the compiler that is. See Mason's answer for that.

Semantically, there is a big difference:

  • var tells the programmer that the routine could work with its current value,
  • out tells the programmer that the routine will ignore/discard its current value.
2
votes

Slightly late but just for the record, I came across a case where var or out made a big difference.

I was working on a SOAP web service which exported the following method:

function GetUser( out User :TUser ) :TResult;

which was getting imported into C# as the equivalent of

function GetUser( out Result :TResult) :TUser;

when I changed the out to a var it it imported correctly.

I'm guessing that the Delphi SOAP invoker treats the function result as an out parameter and that having two out parameters confuses the Delphi SOAP routines. I'm not sure if there is a workaround to allow you to use out parameters.