std::ref, std::cref

C++

Language

Headers

Freestanding and hosted implementations

Named requirements

Language support library

Concepts library (C++20)

Diagnostics library

Utilities library

Strings library

Containers library

Algorithms library

Iterators library

Numerics library

Input/output library

Localizations library

Regular expressions library (C++11)

Atomic operations library (C++11)

Thread support library (C++11)

Filesystem library (C++17)

Technical Specifications

Utilities library

Type support (basic types, RTTI, type traits)
Dynamic memory management
Error handling
Program utilities
Variadic functions
Library feature-test macros
Date and time
Function objects
initializer_list (C++11)
bitset
hash (C++11)
integer_sequence (C++14)
Relational operators (deprecated)
rel_ops::operator!=rel_ops::operator>rel_ops::operator<=rel_ops::operator>=
Comparisons (C++20)
strong_order weak_order partial_order strong_equal weak_equal	strong_ordering weak_ordering partial_ordering strong_equality weak_equality	is_eqis_neqis_ltis_lteqis_gtis_gteq
common_comparison_category
Common vocabulary types
pair tuple (C++11) apply (C++17) make_from_tuple (C++17)	optional (C++17) any (C++17) variant (C++17)
Swap, forward and move
swap
exchange (C++14)
forward (C++11)
move (C++11)
move_if_noexcept (C++11)
Elementary string conversions
to_chars (C++17)
from_chars (C++17)
chars_format (C++17)
Type operations
declval (C++11)
as_const (C++17)

Function objects

Function wrappers function (C++11) mem_fn (C++11) bad_function_call (C++11)	Bind bind (C++11) is_bind_expression (C++11) is_placeholder (C++11) _1, _2, _3, ... (C++11)
Function invocation invoke (C++17) Identity function object identity (C++20)	Reference wrappers reference_wrapper (C++11) refcref (C++11)(C++11)
Operator wrappers
plus minus negate multiplies divides modulus logical_and logical_or logical_not	equal_to not_equal_to greater less greater_equal less_equal bit_and bit_or bit_xor bit_not (C++14)
Negators
not_fn (C++17)
Searchers
default_searcher (C++17)
boyer_moore_searcher (C++17)
boyer_moore_horspool_searcher (C++17)
Old binders and adaptors
unary_function (until C++17) binary_function (until C++17) ptr_fun (until C++17) pointer_to_unary_function (until C++17) pointer_to_binary_function (until C++17) mem_fun (until C++17) mem_fun_tmem_fun1_tconst_mem_fun_tconst_mem_fun1_t (until C++17)(until C++17)(until C++17)(until C++17) not1 (until C++20) not2 (until C++20)	binder1stbinder2nd (until C++17)(until C++17) bind1stbind2nd (until C++17)(until C++17) mem_fun_ref (until C++17) mem_fun_ref_tmem_fun1_ref_tconst_mem_fun_ref_tconst_mem_fun1_ref_t (until C++17)(until C++17)(until C++17)(until C++17) unary_negate (until C++20) binary_negate (until C++20)

Defined in header <functional>
template< class T > std::reference_wrapper<T> ref(T& t) noexcept;	(1)	(since C++11)
template< class T > std::reference_wrapper<T> ref( std::reference_wrapper<T> t ) noexcept;	(2)	(since C++11)
template <class T> void ref(const T&&) = delete;	(3)	(since C++11)
template< class T > std::reference_wrapper<const T> cref( const T& t ) noexcept;	(4)	(since C++11)
template< class T > std::reference_wrapper<const T> cref( std::reference_wrapper<T> t ) noexcept;	(5)	(since C++11)
template <class T> void cref(const T&&) = delete;	(6)	(since C++11)

Function templates ref and cref are helper functions that generate an object of type std::reference_wrapper, using template argument deduction to determine the template argument of the result.

Parameters

t

-

lvalue reference to object that needs to be wrapped or an instance of std::reference_wrapper

Return value

1) std::reference_wrapper<T>(t)

2) ref(t.get())

4) std::reference_wrapper<const T>(t)

5) cref(t.get())

3,6) rvalue reference wrapper is deleted.

Example

Run this code

#include <functional>
#include <iostream>

void f(int& n1, int& n2, const int& n3)
{
    std::cout << "In function: " << n1 << ' ' << n2 << ' ' << n3 << '\n';
    ++n1; // increments the copy of n1 stored in the function object
    ++n2; // increments the main()'s n2
    // ++n3; // compile error
}

int main()
{
    int n1 = 1, n2 = 2, n3 = 3;
    std::function<void()> bound_f = std::bind(f, n1, std::ref(n2), std::cref(n3));
    n1 = 10;
    n2 = 11;
    n3 = 12;
    std::cout << "Before function: " << n1 << ' ' << n2 << ' ' << n3 << '\n';
    bound_f();
    std::cout << "After function: " << n1 << ' ' << n2 << ' ' << n3 << '\n';
}

Output:

Before function: 10 11 12
In function: 1 11 12
After function: 10 12 12

See also

reference_wrapper (C++11)

CopyConstructible and CopyAssignable reference wrapper (class template)