Re: What's the point of passing parameter by value (vs. const ref)

From:

Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se>

Newsgroups:

comp.lang.c++.moderated

Date:

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 17:36:35 CST

Message-ID:

<slrng74fl9.2dc.grahn+nntp@frailea.sa.invalid>

On Wed, 2 Jul 2008 11:58:01 CST, Martin T. <0xCDCDCDCD@gmx.at> wrote:

Hi all.

When writing new C++ code, what is the point of passing any (input)
parameter by value when passing by const reference will just work as
well? (Even and especially PODs, I would not do it with a complex type
anyway.)

....

void f_ref_int(const int& x) {
int y = x;
y++;
}

The number one reason against pass-by-const-reference here is not
technical: it looks funny, it is (I think it's safe to say) at best
pointless, and nobody else is doing it.

The way I react when I read someone's code and it contains odd
constructs which don't actually /do/ anything, is that I start to
distrust the rest of the code, too. Clearly, that hurts both me and
the author.

Sometimes, sticking to tradition is the best way.

/Jorgen

--
   // Jorgen Grahn <grahn@ Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu
\X/ snipabacken.se> R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

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