[fpc-pascal] record helpers & how they effect records

[David Emerson]

using a simple record, e.g.

some_record_type = record
   a, b : longint;
   end;

If I declare a record helper, does this change the record in any way? 
i.e. does the record take any more space when passed as a function 
parameter? Does it become somehow like an object, and need to be 
allocated? Or is the helper more like a language shortcut/convenience, 
where the compiler still treats the record the same way, and declaring 
and using the helper is equivalent to declaring and using a function 
that takes the record as a parameter?

I'm using mode objfpc

Thanks!
~David