C++ Program to illustrate reference variable [DEVCPP/GCC]

REFERENCE VARIABLE

C++ allows to create a reference to an existing variable. It provides a new name to an existing variable. Once a reference is created for a variable, either the variable name or reference name can be used to refer the variable.

The reference variable internally works as an constant pointer i.e. Once a reference is created for a variable, then it can't be changed. It is dereferenced internally without the use of dereferencing operator(*).

PROGRAM

// Program to illustrate reference variable

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
int num;

cout<<"\nENTER A NUMBER: ";
cin>>num;

int &RefToNum = num;

// RefToNum is a reference variable referring to num

cout<<"\nVALUE OF NUM: "<<num;
cout<<"\nVALUE OF REFERENCE TO NUM: "<<RefToNum;

cout<<"\n\nSQUARING NUM...";

num = num*num;

cout<<"\n\nVALUE OF NUM: "<<num;
cout<<"\nVALUE OF REFERENCE TO NUM: "<<RefToNum;

/* Both variable results in the same value as
they are operating on the same memory location */

return 0;
}

OUTPUT