Use the NOCOPY Compiler Hint

By default, the OUT and IN OUT parameters are passed by the value i.e. the value of an IN OUT actual parameter is copied into the corresponding formal parameter. Then, if the subprogram exits generally, the values assigned to OUT and IN OUT formal parameters are copied into the corresponding actual parameters.

If the parameters hold large data structures like records, collections, and instances of object types, all this copying slows down the execution and uses up memory. To secure that, you can specify the NOCOPY hint, that allows the PL/SQL compiler to pass OUT and IN OUT parameters by reference. In the illustration below, you ask the compiler to pass IN OUT parameter my_unit by reference rather by value:

DECLARE

TYPE Platoon IS VARRAY(200) OF Soldier;

PROCEDURE reorganize (my_unit IN OUT NOCOPY Platoon) IS ...

BEGIN

...

END;