If possible, we should pass structures by reference,?

Question

If possible, we should pass structures by reference, that is pass a pointer to the structure, otherwise the whole thing will be copied onto the stack and passed, which will slow things down.

I'm a foreigner.

In this sentence , what does "pass" mean?

(English to English translation , Please)

I'd like to know..

Answer 1

Here "pass" = "hand over", the same as "Pass me the biscuits, please" at a tea party.

The text is from a book about good computer programming practice. The programmer passes data to a subroutine or procedure, which passes a result back to him.

The meaning is not completely the same, because what is passed in the computer is a copy of a structure, or a copy of a pointer to the structure. Neither of these is like a plate of biscuits. But "passing" data or results is the word which has been used for a very long time now to describe the process.

Answer 2

If possible, we should give approval to each structure by quoting its reference, that is, give an indication which will identify the structure in question, as otherwise approval will be given "en masse" (i.e. to the whole thing at once), which will result in unnecessary delays.

Without the context, that's the best I can do.