Call By Value vs Call By Name

Developers should learn call by value to understand how data is passed in functions, which is crucial for writing predictable and bug-free code, especially when dealing with immutable data or avoiding unintended side effects meets developers should learn call by name when working with languages that support lazy evaluation or need to delay computation until necessary, such as in scala for implementing custom control structures or avoiding unnecessary evaluations. Here's our take.

Call By Value

Nice Pick

Developers should learn call by value to understand how data is passed in functions, which is crucial for writing predictable and bug-free code, especially when dealing with immutable data or avoiding unintended side effects

Pros

• It is commonly used in languages like C for passing basic types (e
• Related to: call-by-reference, parameter-passing

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Call By Name

Developers should learn call by name when working with languages that support lazy evaluation or need to delay computation until necessary, such as in Scala for implementing custom control structures or avoiding unnecessary evaluations

Pros

• It is useful in scenarios where arguments might be expensive to compute or have side effects that should only occur if the parameter is actually used, improving performance and enabling more expressive programming patterns like short-circuiting in logical operators
• Related to: scala, lambda-calculus

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Call By Value if: You want it is commonly used in languages like c for passing basic types (e and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Call By Name if: You prioritize it is useful in scenarios where arguments might be expensive to compute or have side effects that should only occur if the parameter is actually used, improving performance and enabling more expressive programming patterns like short-circuiting in logical operators over what Call By Value offers.

The Bottom Line

Call By Value wins

Developers should learn call by value to understand how data is passed in functions, which is crucial for writing predictable and bug-free code, especially when dealing with immutable data or avoiding unintended side effects