array-slice-passing

README

Passing Array to Functions

In Go, arrays are passed to a function as values. So the receiving function gets a copy of the original array. This can be a problem if we need to change the array. To modify the original array, we need to pass the array as a reference or use a slice.

A slice, on the hand, isn't a data structure but rather a variable that references the original data structure. So whether you pass a slice (as a value or reference) to a function, only a copy of that variable is made, which still points to the original data structure.

Notes

It's interesting to note that a slice has a different set of rules when it being passed to a function. The receiving function gets a copy of the original slice, but it still references the original array. This is due to the fact that slice is a struct consisting of a pointer to the array, length of the segment, and its capacity. See Go Blog: Slice Intro for details.

Setup

1. Run the program.

   $ make run
   

Reference

• Go Blog: Slice Intro
• 50 Shades of Go