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parameter vs argument

Parameters are the named placeholders in the function definition. Arguments are the actual values passed at the call site. An easy way to remember: parameters belong to the function, arguments belong to the call.

parameter

The variable declared in the function definition. It lives in the function signature. Think of it as a placeholder with a name.

"function greet(name: string) { ... } // 'name' is the parameter"

argument

The actual value you pass when you call the function. Arguments fill in the parameters. They exist at the call site, not in the definition.

"greet('Alice'); // 'Alice' is the argument"

Interview tip

Using these correctly in an interview signals attention to precision. When reviewing code you might say "this function takes three parameters" and "we're passing the wrong argument here."

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