parms

In computer programming, "parms" is a common abbreviation for parameters. Parameters are variables that are used to pass information into a function, method, or subroutine. They act as placeholders for values that will be supplied when the code is executed. When a function is called, the arguments provided are assigned to the corresponding parameters.

Parameters allow functions to be flexible and reusable. Instead of writing separate functions for every possible input, a single function can be designed to accept different values through its parameters. This promotes modularity and reduces redundancy in code. The order in which parameters are defined and arguments are passed is typically important, although some programming languages support named parameters, which allow arguments to be passed in any order by referring to the parameter name.

The number and type of parameters a function expects are part of its signature. If the wrong number or type of arguments are provided, it can result in an error. Parameters can be classified as either input parameters, output parameters, or input/output parameters, depending on how the function uses the values they hold. Understanding parameters is fundamental to writing and comprehending most programming languages.