Re: STL Vector - pass by reference?

From:
"Ben Voigt [C++ MVP]" <rbv@nospam.nospam>
Newsgroups:
microsoft.public.vc.language
Date:
Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:36:57 -0500
Message-ID:
<#UbkU8a3HHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl>
"Ulrich Eckhardt" <eckhardt@satorlaser.com> wrote in message
news:tp06p4-ile.ln1@satorlaser.homedns.org...

Gerry Hickman wrote:

void PopulateStrings(vector<string> * guids)
{
    guids->clear();
    guids->push_back("test1");
    guids->push_back("test2");
}


While this code will work, there is one thing I object to: in C++, where
you have references, a pointer[1] means to me that something is
optional,
i.e. passing zero is okay, but you don't mean that. Still, you must
handle that case, so either you just return (making it a non-error),
throw an exception (making it a runtime error) or use assert() (making
it
a programmer's error).


Does this only apply to the 'pointer' version, or does it apply to the
'references' version too?


A reference can't be null, so this doesn't apply.


That's not true. It's illegal to use a null reference, but in the same way
that it's illegal to use a null pointer.

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