Does C++ pass objects by value or reference?

by

Arguments are passed by value, unless the function signature specifies otherwise:

  • in void foo(type arg), arg is passed by value regardless of whether type is a simple type, a pointer type or a class type,
  • in void foo(type& arg), arg is passed by reference.

In case of arrays, the value that is passed is a pointer to the first element of the array. If you know the size of the array at compile time, you can pass an array by reference as well: void foo(type (&arg)[10]).

More Related Contents:

  1. Performance cost of passing by value vs. by reference or by pointer?
  2. What operators do I have to overload to see all operations when passing an object to a function?
  3. How to pass objects to functions in C++?
  4. Is it better in C++ to pass by value or pass by constant reference?
  5. Pass by Reference / Value in C++
  6. Where should I prefer pass-by-reference or pass-by-value?
  7. Is it better in C++ to pass by value or pass by reference-to-const?
  8. Function Overloading Based on Value vs. Const Reference
  9. C++ – passing references to std::shared_ptr or boost::shared_ptr
  10. What exactly is the difference between “pass by reference” in C and in C++?
  11. pass by reference and value with pointers [duplicate]
  12. Pass by reference and value in C++
  13. C++: Why pass-by-value is generally more efficient than pass-by-reference for built-in (i.e., C-like) types
  14. C++ view types: pass by const& or by value?
  15. Passing Objects By Reference or Value in C#
  16. Passing object by reference to std::thread in C++11
  17. Are there benefits of passing by pointer over passing by reference in C++?
  18. What is the use of “ref” for reference-type variables in C#?
  19. Default value to a parameter while passing by reference in C++
  20. Is passing pointer argument, pass by value in C++?
  21. Pass an array to a function by value
  22. Is the pass-by-value-and-then-move construct a bad idiom?
  23. Const correctness for value parameters
  24. Use of the & operator in C++ function signatures
  25. Correct usage of the Eigen::Ref class
  26. How is its lifetime of a return value extended to the scope of the calling function when it is bound to a const reference in the calling function?
  27. How to pass “literal” integers by reference in C++
  28. Passing objects by reference vs value
  29. C++ Passing std::string by reference to function in dll
  30. STL containers with reference to objects [duplicate]

Leave a Comment