What does it mean if there is an ampersand right before the function name? Something like:
int& myFunction(int& a, int& b)
Also my book said something about how it doesn't create a copy of something if you pass it by reference, but what exactly does that mean? I never understood that.
Jump to PostIt means the function returns a integer reference for a return value. In your example prototype the function probably returns a reference to either a or b.
It means the function returns a integer reference for a return value. In your example prototype the function probably returns a reference to either a or b.
>>an ampersand right before the function name
That's the wrong way to think about it. The ampersand is right after the return-type declaration, in other words, the ampersand is part of the definition of the return-type. In this case, the function returns a reference to an int variable. It also takes its two parameters by reference.
Read this for a deeper explanation of references.
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