Default value for a const reference parameter

[Senthilvel]

Hi folks,
My friend tells that the following function declaration is illegal.

void Foo(const string& strData = "Default");

My friend argues that it is not legal to provide a default value for a
parameter passed by reference or const reference.
But i do not think so.
I looked up in the TCPPPL but nothing of that sort is explicitly
mentioned(or have i missed it ??? ).
Can someone solve the dispute ?

Thanks and Best Regards,
Senthil.

[Tom Widmer]

On Thu, 9 Sep 2004 16:01:50 +0530, "Senthilvel" <se*****@nospam.com>
wrote:

Hi folks,
My friend tells that the following function declaration is illegal.

void Foo(const string& strData = "Default");

My friend argues that it is not legal to provide a default value for a
parameter passed by reference or const reference.
But i do not think so.
I looked up in the TCPPPL but nothing of that sort is explicitly
mentioned(or have i missed it ??? ).
Can someone solve the dispute ?

The code is fine. You can't do it for a non-const reference, since you
can't bind a non-const reference to a temporary. Basically, the
default parameter can be anything you could pass manually.

Tom

[Stephan Br?nnimann]

"Senthilvel" <se*****@nospam.com> wrote in message news:<ch**********@news.mch.sbs.de>...

Hi folks,
My friend tells that the following function declaration is illegal. That's correct: what is `string'?
void Foo(const string& strData = "Default");

My friend argues that it is not legal to provide a default value for a
parameter passed by reference or const reference. He's wrong But i do not think so.
I looked up in the TCPPPL but nothing of that sort is explicitly
mentioned(or have i missed it ??? ).
Can someone solve the dispute ?

#include <string>
void Foo(const std::string& strData = "Default");

Thanks and Best Regards,
Senthil.

Stephan Brönnimann
br****@osb-systems.com
Open source rating and billing engine for communication networks.

[JKop]

Senthilvel posted:

Hi folks,
My friend tells that the following function declaration is illegal.
void Foo(const string& strData = "Default");

My friend argues that it is not legal to provide a default value for a parameter passed by reference or const reference.
But i do not think so.
I looked up in the TCPPPL but nothing of that sort is explicitly mentioned(or have i missed it ??? ).
Can someone solve the dispute ?

Thanks and Best Regards,
Senthil.

Try
compile
the
bleeding
thing

-Jkop

[Howard]

"JKop" <NU**@NULL.NULL> wrote in message
news:WW******************@news.indigo.ie...

Senthilvel posted:

Hi folks,
My friend tells that the following function declaration

is illegal.

void Foo(const string& strData = "Default");

My friend argues that it is not legal to provide a

default value for a

parameter passed by reference or const reference.
But i do not think so.
I looked up in the TCPPPL but nothing of that sort is

explicitly

mentioned(or have i missed it ??? ).
Can someone solve the dispute ?

Thanks and Best Regards,
Senthil.

Try
compile
the
bleeding
thing

-Jkop

Sometimes, that tells you very little. Especially if you're using a piece
of junk like VC++6.0. The fact that compiler compiles it (which it does - I
tried it) is no indication of its validity as standard-compliant code. :-)

-Howard

[JKop]

Howard posted:

"JKop" <NU**@NULL.NULL> wrote in message
news:WW******************@news.indigo.ie...

Senthilvel posted:

> Hi folks,
> My friend tells that the following function declaration is illegal. >
> void Foo(const string& strData = "Default");
>
> My friend argues that it is not legal to provide a default value for > a parameter passed by reference or const reference.
> But i do not think so.
> I looked up in the TCPPPL but nothing of that sort is explicitly > mentioned(or have i missed it ??? ).
> Can someone solve the dispute ?
>
> Thanks and Best Regards,
> Senthil.
>
>
>
Try
compile
the
bleeding
thing

-Jkop

Sometimes, that tells you very little. Especially if

you're using a piece of junk like VC++6.0. The fact that compiler compiles it (which it does - I tried it) is no indication of its validity as
standard-compliant code. :-)

-Howard

I never commented on whether it was legal code or not.

-JKop

[Kai-Uwe Bux]

JKop wrote:

Howard posted:

"JKop" <NU**@NULL.NULL> wrote in message
news:WW******************@news.indigo.ie...

Senthilvel posted:

> Hi folks,
> My friend tells that the following function declaration is illegal. >
> void Foo(const string& strData = "Default");
>
> My friend argues that it is not legal to provide a default value for > a parameter passed by reference or const reference.
> But i do not think so.
> I looked up in the TCPPPL but nothing of that sort is explicitly > mentioned(or have i missed it ??? ).
> Can someone solve the dispute ?
>
> Thanks and Best Regards,
> Senthil.
>
>
>

Try
compile
the
bleeding
thing

-Jkop

Sometimes, that tells you very little. Especially if

you're using a

piece of junk like VC++6.0. The fact that compiler

compiles it (which

it does - I tried it) is no indication of its validity as
standard-compliant code. :-)

-Howard

I never commented on whether it was legal code or not.

True, but the OP specifically reports about a dispute as to wether the code
is legal and asks how this dispute is to be resolved.

Best

Kai-Uwe Bux