returning const references/pointers from functions?

[Protoman]

When would you return a const reference/pointer from a function instead
of either the object itself, or a non constreference/pointer? And when
would you need to return a reference or pointer at all, instead of the
object itself?

 

[=?iso-8859-1?Q?Ali_=C7ehreli?=]

When would you return a const reference/pointer from a function instead
of either the object itself,

I would return a const reference/pointer to avoid "premature pessimization"
but only if the object is alive even after the function returns.

If the object is non-copyable there is no other way than returning a
reference/pointer.

or a non constreference/pointer?

If the caller should be allowed to modify the object through the returned
reference/pointer.

And when
would you need to return a reference or pointer at all, instead of the
object itself?

You cannot return the object itself. You can either return a
reference/pointer to it, or you can return a copy of it.

When you need to work on a specific object, not a copy of it, you have to
return a reference/pointer.

Ali
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