Vectors of references

Sorry to send by this path; news server not
locally established.

Scott Meyers suggested this venue as the
proper place for this query. Basically,
I don't see how to create a vector of
reference, but don't see a particular
reason in principle that it couldn't
be done.

Thanks!

Larry Brunelle

--

With code like this,

struct testStruct
{
       int foobis;
};

this works fine:

testStruct& ref1 = ts;
testStruct& ref2 = ref1;

That is, I can copy a reference.
Howsomever, I can't put it into a vector
(which, of course, would involve making
a copy).
In fact, I can't even define a vector of
reference.

The following code

vector<testStruct& v1;

stimulates the compiler to emit errors like
these (only a lot more of them). Changing the
contained type to const testStruct& changes
nothing, but of course I can create and use a
vector of pointer.

Is this my stupidity, and/or is it fodder
for a future Item?

/usr/include/c++/3.2.3/bits/stl_vector.h: In instantiation of
`std::_Vector_alloc_base<testStruct&, std::allocator<testStruct&, true':
test.C:33: instantiated from `std::_Vector_base<testStruct&,
std::allocator<testStruct& '
test.C:33: instantiated from `std::vector<testStruct&,
std::allocator<testStruct& '
test.C:33: instantiated from here
/usr/include/c++/3.2.3/bits/stl_vector.h:115: forming pointer to reference type
      `testStruct&'
/usr/include/c++/3.2.3/bits/stl_vector.h:116: forming pointer to reference type
      `testStruct&'
/usr/include/c++/3.2.3/bits/stl_vector.h:117: forming pointer to reference type
      `testStruct&'
/usr/include/c++/3.2.3/bits/stl_vector.h:121: forming pointer to reference type
      `testStruct&'
/usr/include/c++/3.2.3/bits/stl_vector.h:123: forming pointer to reference type
      `testStruct&'
/usr/include/c++/3.2.3/bits/stl_vector.h: In instantiation of
`std::vector<testStruct&, std::allocator<testStruct& ':

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