Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days

LISTING9.13 Returning a Reference to a Nonexistent Object

1: // Listing 9.13

2: // Returning a reference to an object

3: // which no longer exists

4:

5: #include <iostream>

6:

7: class SimpleCat

8: {

9: public:

10: SimpleCat (int age, int weight);

11: ~SimpleCat() {}

12: int GetAge() { return itsAge; }

13: int GetWeight() { return itsWeight; }

14: private:

15: int itsAge;

16: int itsWeight;

17: };

18:

19: SimpleCat::SimpleCat(int age, int weight)

20: {

21: itsAge = age;

22: itsWeight = weight;

23: }

24:

25: SimpleCat &TheFunction();

26:

27: int main()

28: {

29: SimpleCat &rCat = TheFunction();

30: int age = rCat.GetAge();

31: std::cout << “rCat is “ << age << “ years old!” << std::endl;

32: return 0;

33: }

34:

35: SimpleCat &TheFunction()

36: {

37: SimpleCat Frisky(5,9);

38: return Frisky;

39: }

Compile error: Attempting to return a reference to a local object!

OUTPUT

282 Day 9

This program won’t compile on the Borland compiler. It will compile on

Microsoft compilers; however, it should be noted that it is a poor coding

practice.

CAUTION