Prev Next

Creating References in C++

A reference in C++ is an alias for another variable. Once a reference is assigned to a variable, it cannot refer to another variable, and any operations on the reference directly affect the original variable.

Syntax of Creating a Reference

data_type &reference_name = variable_name;

Example: Creating a Reference

#include <iostream>

int main() {
    int age = 30;
    int &ref_age = age;
    ref_age = 35;
    
    std::cout << "Age: " << age << std::endl; // Output: 35
    return 0;
}

Explanation: ref_age is a reference to age. Changing ref_age updates age because they refer to the same memory location.

Key Takeaways

  • References are aliases for other variables and cannot be changed after initialization.
  • They allow for efficient data manipulation without copying values.
  • Useful in functions for passing variables by reference.
Prev Next