clarification needed regarding string& replaceLastStar(string& s )

[ivapp]

hi,
i am using
language:c++
platform:linux

I am new to c++.
Can u please guide me by giving the meaning of string&.
if we give

string& replaceLastStar(string& s )

here string& S
means.


Thanks & regards
rekha

[Meetee]

hi,
i am using
language:c++
platform:linux

I am new to c++.
Can u please guide me by giving the meaning of string&.
if we give

string& replaceLastStar(string& s )

here string& S
means.


Thanks & regards
rekha

String & s means you are passing reference ( address ) of String s to the function replaceLastStar.

Regards

[weaknessforcats]

This is not correct:

String & s means you are passing reference ( address ) of String s to the function replaceLastStar.

When you pass the address of a string, your function has a pointer argumment:

string* replaceLastStar(string* s );
 
int main()
{
     string data;
     stirng* ptr = replaceLastString(&data)l;
}
 

The function works with the address of datain order to change data. The argument s is &data.

When you pass a string by reference, your function has a reference argumment:

string& replaceLastStar(string& s );
 
int main()
{
     string data;
     replaceLastString(data)l;
}
 

This time name data and the name s are two names for the same string. Inside the function a change to s is also a change to data since these are the same string. Passing by reference avoids making a copy of the object and also avoids having to use a pointer.