Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!microsoft!jimad
From: jimad@microsoft.UUCP (Jim Adcock)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Modifying References
Message-ID: <9193@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 28 Nov 89 18:17:41 GMT
References: <4280@cadillac.CAD.MCC.COM>
Reply-To: jimad@microsoft.UUCP (Jim Adcock)
Distribution: na
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 32

// At least present compilers don't strictly enforce this restriction --
// my 1.2 compatible version accepts the following.  It would be nice to
// know what the real restrictions really are, and why.  Presumably,
// eventually, it will be possible to make C++ compilers that
// generate more efficient code based on the knowledge that references
// "don't change."  A reference is not the same thing as an automatically
// dereference pointer -- that just happens to be the way that cfront
// implements them.  Anybody know what the "real rules" are in using
// references? Is the below legal, or just not yet enforced by compilers?

#include <stdio.h>

typedef char* strng;
strng v[] = 
{
	"hi mom",
	"hi dad",
	"hi bro",
	"hi sis",
	0
};

main()
{
	strng* p = v;
	while (*p != 0)
	{
		strng& str = *p;
		printf("%s\n",str);
		++p;
	}
}