How to Return a Reference to Vector C
The C/C++ programming language has a Standard Template Library (STL) that provides many useful data containers. One such data container is the vector. A vector is a list of sequential items and is quite like an array. However, an array has a fixed sized determined during declaration. A vector does not have a fixed sized, and it can grow or shrink as its contents are manipulated. A vector should be passed by reference whenever possible, since it can contain many items and may be costly to move by value. Passing a vector by reference uses standard C/C++ reference operator semantics.
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Things You'll Need
- C/C++ Integrated Development Environment (IDE), such as Eclipse CDT
- C/C++ Compiler, such as GCC
Instructions
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Load up the C/C++ IDE by clicking on its program icon. After it loads, navigate to "File" followed by "New" and "Project." Select "C++ Project" to create a new C++ project. A blank source code file appears in the main editor window of the IDE.
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Import the vector library by writing the following line at the top of the source code file:
#import <vector>
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Create a main function by writing these lines of code:
int main() { }
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Declare a vector of integer data types by writing the following between the curly brackets of the main function:
vector<int> v;
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Pass the vector by reference to a function named "Foo()" using the "&" operator. Passing by reference does not copy the entire contents of the vector -- it copies a reference to the vector's location in memory. The syntax for passing by reference looks like this:
Foo(&v);
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