How & work here?

[Encinaar]

class A
{
    int x;
    
    public:
        A& increment(int);
};

I did not understand how does & work here. Can someone explain it and give a simple example to better understand the function of & here?

[LB]

It means that instead of returning a temporary copy of an A object, it returns a reference to an existing and persistent A object. More on references here:
http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/functions2/

[Encinaar]

A increment(int) will also return an A object. I don't see the difference.

[R0mai]

L B wrote:

[...] it returns a reference to an existing and persistent A object.

[zb0S216C]

Instead of returning a new A instance, it returns the address of another existing A instance.

Why was I reported? o_0

_Wazzak