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]

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]

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 ?



Thanks and Best Regards,
Senthil.

Stephan Brönnimann
(e-mail address removed)
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]

Senthilvel posted:


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:

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]

Howard posted:


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