AI engineering glossary · Python core
What is pass by object reference?
Pass by object reference (also called call by sharing): Python's argument-passing model: a function receives a reference to the same object the caller has. Mutating a mutable argument inside the function is visible outside, but rebinding the parameter name is not.
Pass by object reference: an example
def f(lst): lst.append(1) changes the caller's list, while lst = [] inside f does not.
Related terms
More Python core terms
Where you learn it
Pass by object reference is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.