In C++, we can use references to pass and return values from functions. Let's explore this concept with an example:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int& fun(int &a)
{
cout<<"a : "<<a<<endl;
return a;
}
int main()
{
int x = 1;
fun(x) = 5;
cout<<"x : "<<x<<endl;
}
OUTPUT :
a : 1
x : 5
Discussion:
In the fun(x) function call, it's important to understand that 'x' is not accepted by its value, but rather by reference. The variable 'a' in the fun function is, in fact, a reference to 'x'. When 'a' is returned by reference, it essentially means 'x' is returned itself.
In the example, 'x' is initially set to 1. The fun(x) call passes 'x' by reference to the fun function, which simply prints the value of 'a' (which is 1) and then returns 'a'. After the function call, we have fun(x) = 5, which assigns the value 5 to 'a', which is a reference to 'x'. As a result, 'x' itself is modified to 5, and when we print 'x' in the main function, it shows the updated value.
This behavior is a powerful feature in C++ and is commonly used for functions that need to modify their input parameters or return values by reference.
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