C++ Academy · Lesson

Why References Aliases for Variables

Introduce references as compile-time aliases that cannot be reseated or null.

What is a Reference?

A reference is a compile-time alias for another variable. It is not a pointer and not a copy — it is the same object under a different name.

Use & after the type. References must be initialized at declaration and cannot be reseated.

int x = 10;
int& ref = x;     // ref is an alias for x
ref = 20;         // x is now 20