"*&"

[jhoebz]

int *&x
int *y

is there any difference between these two variables?

[Galik]

Yes.


x is a reference to a int pointer

y is an int pointer

If you use y as a function parameter, the function will receive y as a a copy of the passed in pointer..

However if you use x as a function parameter, the function will receive x as a reference to the passed in pointer.

This means that if the value of y is changed inside the function it will not be changed outside the function.

But if x is changed inside the function it will also be changed outside the function.

Here is an example:

void func(int* p, int*& pr)
{
	p++;
	pr++;
}

int main()
{
	int a[2];

	int* b = &a[0];
	int* c = &a[0];

	std::cout << "\nBefore call to function:" << std::endl;
	std::cout << "b = " << b << std::endl;
	std::cout << "c = " << c << std::endl;

	func(b, c);

	std::cout << "\nAfter call to function:" << std::endl;
	std::cout << "b = " << b << std::endl;
	std::cout << "c = " << c << std::endl;

	return 0;
}

And here is the output:

Before call to function:
b = 0xbf811a48
c = 0xbf811a48

After call to function:
b = 0xbf811a48
c = 0xbf811a4c

[jhoebz]

thanks alot Galik!