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Reference initialization - cppreference.com

Binds a reference to an object.

[edit] Syntax [edit] Non-list-initialization T & ref = target ;

T & ref ( target );

(1) T && ref = target ;

T && ref ( target );

(2) (since C++11) func-refpar ( target ) (3) return target ; (4) (inside the definition of func-refret ) Class::Class(...) : ref-member ( target ) { ... } (5) (inside the definition of Class ) [edit] Ordinary list-initialization (since C++11) T & ref = { arg1, arg2, ... };

T & ref { arg1, arg2, ... };

(1) T && ref = { arg1, arg2, ... };

T && ref { arg1, arg2, ... };

(2) func-refpar ({ arg1, arg2, ... }); (3) [edit] Designated list-initialization (since C++20) T & ref = {.des1 = arg1 , .des2 { arg2 } ... };

T & ref {.des1 = arg1 , .des2 { arg2 } ... };

(1) T && ref = {.des1 = arg1 , .des2 { arg2 } ... };

T && ref {.des1 = arg1 , .des2 { arg2 } ... };

(2) func-refpar ({.des1 = arg1 , .des2 { arg2 } ... }); (3)

A reference to T can be initialized with an object of type T, a function of type T, or an object implicitly convertible to T. Once initialized, a reference cannot be reseated (changed) to refer to another object.

References are initialized in the following situations:

3) In a function call expression, when the function parameter has reference type.

4)

In the

return

statement, when the function returns a reference type.

The program is ill-formed if the returned reference is bound to the result of a temporary expression.(since C++26) [edit] Explanation T - the referenced type ref - the reference variable to be initialized target - the initializer expression being used func-refpar - a function with a parameter of reference type (T & or T &&(since C++11)) func-refret - a function whose returns type is a reference type (T & or T &&(since C++11)) Class - a class name ref-member - a non-static data member of reference type (T & or T &&(since C++11)) of Class des1, des2, ... - designators arg1, arg2, ... - the initializers in initializer lists [edit] Definitions

For two types T1 and T2:

[edit] Initialization rules

If a reference initialization uses an ordinary or designated(since C++20) list-initialization, the rules of list-initialization are followed.

(since C++11)

For non-list reference initialization, given the type of target as U, the reference either binds directly to target or binds to a value of type T converted from target. Direct binding is considered first, followed by indirect binding, if neither binding is available, the program is ill-formed.

In all cases where the reference-compatible relationship of two types is used to establish the validity of a reference binding and the standard conversion sequence would be ill-formed, a program that necessitates such a binding is ill-formed.

[edit] Direct binding

If all following conditions are satisfied:

Then the reference binds to target, or to its appropriate base class subobject:

double d = 2.0;
double& rd = d;        // rd refers to d
const double& rcd = d; // rcd refers to d
 
struct A {};
struct B : A {} b;
 
A& ra = b;             // ra refers to A subobject in b
const A& rca = b;      // rca refers to A subobject in b

Otherwise, if all following conditions are satisfied:

Then the reference binds to the lvalue result of the conversion, or to its appropriate base class subobject:

struct A {};
struct B : A { operator int&(); };
 
int& ir = B(); // ir refers to the result of B::operator int&

Otherwise, if the reference to be initialized is an lvalue reference, and T is not const-qualified or is volatile-qualified, the prorgram is ill-formed:

double& rd2 = 2.0; // error: not an lvalue and reference is not const
int i = 2;
double& rd3 = i;   // error: type mismatch and reference is not const

Otherwise, if all following conditions are satisfied:

(until C++11)
(since C++11)
(until C++17)
(since C++17)

Then the reference binds to target, or to its appropriate base class subobject:

struct A {};
struct B : A {};
extern B f();
 
const A& rca2 = f(); // bound to the A subobject of the B rvalue.
A&& rra = f();       // same as above
 
int i2 = 42;
int&& rri = static_cast<int&&>(i2); // bound directly to i2

If target is a prvalue, temporary materialization is applied to it, considering the type of the prvalue to be the adjusted type P.

In this case, the reference binds to the result object, or to its appropriate base class subobject.

(since C++17)

Otherwise, if all following conditions are satisfied:

(until C++11)
(since C++11)
(until C++17)
(since C++17)

Then the reference binds to the result of the conversion, or to its appropriate base class subobject:

struct A {};
struct B : A {};
struct X { operator B(); } x;
 
const A& r = x; // bound to the A subobject of the result of the conversion
B&& rrb = x;    // bound directly to the result of the conversion

If the result of the conversion is a prvalue, temporary materialization is applied to it, considering the type of the prvalue to be the adjusted type P.

In this case, the reference binds to the result object, or to its appropriate base class subobject.

(since C++17) [edit] Indirect binding

If direct binding is not available, indirect binding is considered. In this case, T cannot be reference-related to U.

If T or U is a class type, user-defined conversions are considered using the rules for copy-initialization of an object of type T by user-defined conversion. The program is ill-formed if the corresponding non-reference copy-initialization would be ill-formed. The result of the call to the conversion function, as described for the non-reference copy-initialization, is then used to direct-initialize the reference. For this direct-initialization, user-defined conversions are not considered.

Otherwise, a temporary of type T is created and copy-initialized from target. The reference is then bound to the temporary.

(until C++17)

Otherwise, target is implicitly converted to a prvalue of type “cv-unqualified T”. The temporary materialization conversion is applied, considering the type of the prvalue to be T, and the reference is bound to the result object.

(since C++17)
const std::string& rs = "abc"; // rs refers to temporary copy-initialized from char array
const double& rcd2 = 2;        // rcd2 refers to temporary with value 2.0
int i3 = 2;
double&& rrd3 = i3;            // rrd3 refers to temporary with value 2.0
[edit] Lifetime of a temporary

Whenever a reference is bound to a temporary object or to a subobject thereof, the lifetime of the temporary object is extended to match the lifetime of the reference (check temporary object lifetime exceptions), where the temporary object or its subobject is denoted by one of following expression:

There are following exceptions to this lifetime rule:

(until C++26) (since C++11)
struct A
{
    int&& r;
};
 
A a1{7}; // OK, lifetime is extended
A a2(7); // well-formed, but dangling reference
(since C++20)

In general, the lifetime of a temporary cannot be further extended by "passing it on": a second reference, initialized from the reference variable or data member to which the temporary was bound, does not affect its lifetime.

[edit] Notes

References appear without initializers only in function parameter declaration, in function return type declaration, in the declaration of a class member, and with the extern specifier.

Until the resolution of CWG issue 1696, a temporary is permitted to bound to a reference member in a constructor initializer list, and it persists only until the constructor exits, not as long as the object exists. Such initialization is ill-formed since CWG 1696, although many compilers still support it (a notable exception is clang).

[edit] Example
#include <sstream>
#include <utility>
 
struct S
{
    int mi;
    const std::pair<int, int>& mp; // reference member
};
 
void foo(int) {}
 
struct A {};
 
struct B : A
{
    int n;
    operator int&() { return n; }
};
 
B bar() { return B(); }
 
//int& bad_r;      // error: no initializer
extern int& ext_r; // OK
 
int main()
{
//  Lvalues
    int n = 1;
    int& r1 = n;                    // lvalue reference to the object n
    const int& cr(n);               // reference can be more cv-qualified
    volatile int& cv{n};            // any initializer syntax can be used
    int& r2 = r1;                   // another lvalue reference to the object n
//  int& bad = cr;                  // error: less cv-qualified
    int& r3 = const_cast<int&>(cr); // const_cast is needed
 
    void (&rf)(int) = foo; // lvalue reference to function
    int ar[3];
    int (&ra)[3] = ar;     // lvalue reference to array
 
    B b;
    A& base_ref = b;        // reference to base subobject
    int& converted_ref = b; // reference to the result of a conversion
 
//  Rvalues
//  int& bad = 1;        // error: cannot bind lvalue ref to rvalue
    const int& cref = 1; // bound to rvalue
    int&& rref = 1;      // bound to rvalue
 
    const A& cref2 = bar(); // reference to A subobject of B temporary
    A&& rref2 = bar();      // same
 
    int&& xref = static_cast<int&&>(n); // bind directly to n
//  int&& copy_ref = n;                 // error: can't bind to an lvalue
    double&& copy_ref = n;              // bind to an rvalue temporary with value 1.0
 
//  Restrictions on temporary lifetimes
//  std::ostream& buf_ref = std::ostringstream() << 'a';
                     // the ostringstream temporary was bound to the left operand
                     // of operator<< but its lifetime ended at the semicolon so
                     // the buf_ref is a dangling reference
 
    S a {1, {2, 3}}; // temporary pair {2, 3} bound to the reference member
                     // a.mp and its lifetime is extended to match 
                     // the lifetime of object a
 
    S* p = new S{1, {2, 3}}; // temporary pair {2, 3} bound to the reference
                             // member p->mp, but its lifetime ended at the semicolon
                             // p->mp is a dangling reference
    delete p;
 
    // Imitate [[maybe_unused]] applied to the following variables:
    [](...){}
    (
        cv, r2, r3, rf, ra, base_ref, converted_ref,
        a, cref, rref, cref2, rref2, copy_ref, xref
    );
}
[edit] Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR Applied to Behavior as published Correct behavior CWG 391 C++98 initialize a reference to const-qualified type with a class type
rvalue might create a temporary, and a constructor of that class
was required in order to copy the rvalue into that temporary no temporary is
created, constructor
is not required CWG 450 C++98 a reference to const-qualified array could not be
initialized with a reference-compatible array rvalue allowed CWG 589 C++98 a reference could not bind directly to an array or class rvalue allowed CWG 656 C++98 a reference to const-qualified type initialized with a type which is not
reference-compatible but has a conversion function to a reference-
compatible type was bound to a temporary copied from the return
value (or its base class subobject) of the conversion function bound to the return
value (or its base class
subobject) directly CWG 1287 C++11 the conversion from target of class type to another
reference-compatible type could only be implicit allow explicit
conversions CWG 1295 C++11 a reference could bind to a bit-field xvalue prohibited CWG 1299 C++98 the definition of temporary was unclear made clear CWG 1571 C++98 user-defined conversions in indirect
binding did not consider the type of target considered CWG 1604 C++98 user-defined conversions were not considered in indirect binding considered CWG 2352 C++98 reference compatibility did not consider qualification conversions considered CWG 2481 C++17 cv-qualification was not added to the result type
of temporary materialization in indirect binding added CWG 2657 C++17 cv-qualification was not added to the result type
of temporary materialization in direct binding added CWG 2801 C++98 reference-related types were allowed for indirect binding prohibited [edit] See also

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