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ABAP Keyword Documentation → ABAP − Reference → Program structure → Modularization Statements → Procedures →Parameter Interface of Procedures
The parameter interface of a procedure consists of formal parameters and specifies the exceptions possible in the procedure.
Formal Parameters
Formal parameters are input parameters, output parameters, input/output parameters, or return values. Several obsolete table parameters also exist. Formal parameters are either generic or fully typed. Pass by reference or pass by value can be specified for most formal parameters. Pass by value is mandatory for some formal parameters.
Programming Guideline
Choose the appropriate formal parameter type
Exceptions
Class-based exceptions can be declared using RAISING for all procedures (methods, function modules, and subroutines), and can then be propagated from the procedure. EXCEPTIONS can also be used in methods and function modules to define non-class-based exceptions, which can then be raised in the procedure using RAISE or MESSAGE ... RAISING.
Pass by Reference or Pass by Value
When deciding whether to use pass by reference or pass by value for a formal parameter, you must compare the performance and robustness of each transfer type.
In ABAP, pass by reference always leads to better performance since no local data object has to be stored and no data transport is necessary when the procedure is called. Therefore, for performance reasons, pass by reference is usually preferable, unless explicit or implicit write access exists to an input parameter in the procedure or you want to ensure that an input/output parameter or an output parameter is returned only if the procedure ends without any errors. In such cases, pass by value is mandatory; this is so that the assigned actual parameter is not simultaneously modified in the caller when write access exists for a formal parameter. For performance reasons, only parameters of 100 bytes or less should be passed in these cases, whenever possible.
Also note the following when using pass by reference:
Procedures and their calls have to be programmed so that these kinds of errors do not occur.
To summarize, pass by reference is always preferable when performance is an issue, while pass by value is more suitable in situations where robustness and data consistency are more important. These factors must be taken into account in each individual case when you decide which pass type to use with which type of parameter.
Programming Guideline
Choose a suitable pass by type
Notes