miscon:programming.functions.argument-name-must-match-parameter · draft · trust low · v0.1.1 · kind misapplied-analogy

Arguments are matched to parameters by name

The variable passed to a function has to have the same name as the parameter, or the function will not receive it.

Stable URI: https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/m/programming.functions.argument-name-must-match-parameter
UUID: e7df53b7-374a-4b33-86e9-3c2883c5374f
Domain: programming.functions
Level band: secondary, undergraduate
Locale: en
About: https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/c/programming.functions.parameter-passing (Miscon)

Evidence patterns

Pattern 0: predict the output of a call whose argument name differs from the parameter name

predicts an error or that the parameter is unset

Item

def show(n):
    print(n)
value = 5
show(value)

Expected5

ResponseError: n is not defined (or 'nothing')

Pattern 1: write a call to a given function

renames the local variable to match the parameter before calling

ItemGiven def area(width, height), compute the area of a rectangle whose sides are stored in w and h.

Expectedarea(w, h)

Response

width = w
height = h
area(width, height)

Discriminators

vs a slip. Consistent renaming or predicted errors across items. A slip is a single wrong name.

vs programming.functions.parameters-alias-arguments. Aliasers accept different names but expect changes to the parameter to flow back; name-matchers do not accept different names at all.

Relations

conflicts_with: Arguments are matched to parameters by position and copied in (external)
resolved_by: Arguments are matched to parameters by position and copied in (external)
confusable_with: programming.functions.parameters-alias-arguments

Provenance

Origin: llm-drafted

Fleury, A. E. (1991). Parameter passing: The rules the students construct. In Proceedings of the 22nd SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE '91), 283-286. doi:10.1145/107004.107066
Student-constructed rules for parameter passing.
Madison, S., & Gifford, J. (2002). Modular programming: Novice misconceptions. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 34(3), 217-229. doi:10.1080/15391523.2002.10782346
Qian, Y., & Lehman, J. (2017). Students' misconceptions and other difficulties in introductory programming: A literature review. ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 18(1), Article 1. doi:10.1145/3077618

Drafted from the cited literature for the Open Misconceptions seed pack; statement, examples and discriminators are original text. Awaiting maintainer review.

Review status

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Formats

Raw JSON
CASE 1.1 package (CFItem e7df53b7-374a-4b33-86e9-3c2883c5374f)
Source on GitHub

Cite

miscon:programming.functions.argument-name-must-match-parameter
https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/m/programming.functions.argument-name-must-match-parameter