Parameters

The word subroutine can be used to refer to either a procedure or a function. Subroutines are more versatile when they have parameters to modify their processing. The parameters are used as variables within the subroutine.

The procedure in the following program has one parameter, NumberOfStars, of type integer. It is a local variable, which means that it can only be used inside the procedure. The argument 17 (the value of TitleLength) is supplied to it when the procedure is called. The variable Count, declared within the procedure, can only be used within the procedure and is another example of a local variable.

program DrawStars;
{$APPTYPE CONSOLE}
uses
  SysUtils;
const 
  Title = 'DrawStars Program';
var
  TitleLength : integer;

procedure WriteStars(NumberOfStars: integer);
var
  Count : integer;
begin
  for Count := 1 to NumberOfStars do
    begin
      write('*');
    end;
  writeln;
end;

begin
  TitleLength := length(Title);
  WriteStars(TitleLength);
  writeln(Title);
  WriteStars(TitleLength);
  readln;
end.

The procedure can be made more versatile by introducing a second parameter of type char. In the next program the variables TitleLength and i are global variables, being available to the whole of the program, and NumberOfChars, Character and Count are local variables, being accessible only within the procedure. Read the code and work out roughly what the output should look like, then copy and paste the code into Lazarus or Delphi and see if you are correct.

procedure WriteChars(NumberOfChars: integer; Character : char);
var
  Count : integer;
begin
  for Count := 1 to NumberOfChars do
    begin
      write(Character);
    end;
  writeln;
end;

begin
  TitleLength := length(Title);
  WriteChars(TitleLength, '*');
  writeln(Title);
  WriteChars(TitleLength, '*');
  WriteChars(TitleLength, '_');
  for i := TitleLength - 1 downto 1 do
    begin
      WriteChars(i, CHR(48+i));
    end;
  readln;
end.