Return by Reference

• A C++ program can be made easier to read and maintain by using references rather than pointers.
• A C++ function can return a reference in a similar way as it returns a pointer.
• When a function returns a reference, it returns an implicit pointer to its return value.
• This way, a function can be used on the left side of an assignment statement. For example, consider this simple program:

Example:

#include <iostream>

int n;
int& test();

int main() {
test() = 5;
cout<<n;
return 0;
}

int& test() {
return n;
}

Output:

5

• In program above, the return type of function test() is int&. Hence this function returns by reference. The return statement is return n; but unlike return by value. This statement doesn't return value of n, instead it returns variable n itself.
• Then the variable n is assigned to the left side of code test() = 5; and value ofn is displayed.

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