Indirect Addressing – References

This chapter will examine how to utilize references in C++. References can often, but not always, be used as an alternative to pointers for indirect addressing. Though you have prior experience with indirect addressing from our last chapter using pointers, we will start at the beginning to understand C++ references.

References, like pointers, are a language feature you must be able to utilize with ease. Many other languages use references for indirect addressing without requiring the thorough understanding that C++ imposes to correctly utilize both pointers and references. Just as with pointers, you will see references frequently used throughout code from other programmers. You may be pleased that using references will provide notational ease when writing applications compared to pointers.

Unfortunately, references cannot be used as a substitute for pointers in all situations requiring indirect addressing. Therefore, a thorough understanding...