refprt, C++ (gcc) - rextester

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#include<cstring>
#include<iostream>

char const* func(char const* const a, char const* const b)
{
    std::cout << "Func1:\n";
    std::cout << "local: a: " << (void*)a << "<--copy, &a:" << &a << "<--*different from main!*\n";
    std::cout << "local: b: " << (void*)b << "<--copy, &b:" << &b << "<--*different from main!*\n";
    return std::strcmp(a, b)<0 ? b : a;
}

char const*& func(char const*& a, char const*& b, char const*& c)
{
    std::cout << "Func2:\n";
    std::cout << "ref: a: " << (void*)a << "<--original, &a:" << &a << "<--original\n";
    std::cout << "ref: b: " << (void*)b << "<--original, &b:" << &b << "<--original\n";
    std::cout << "ref: c: " << (void*)c << "<--original, &c:" << &c << "<--original\n";
    char const* const out = func(func(a, b), c);
    std::cout << "Func2:\n";
    std::cout << "local: out: " << (void*)out << ", &out:" << &out << " (cannot return this local variable to a reference)\n";
    return c; // just to fix it for now
}

int main()
{
    std::cout << "Main:\n";
    const char* a = "First";
    std::cout << "a: " << (void*)a << ", &a:" << &a << "\n";
    const char* b = "Second";
    std::cout << "b: " << (void*)b << ", &b:" << &b << "\n";
    const char* c = "Third";
    std::cout << "c: " << (void*)c << ", &c:" << &c << "\n";

func(a, b, c);
    return 0;
}

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Compilation time: 0.44 sec, absolute running time: 0.12 sec, cpu time: 0.05 sec, memory peak: 3 Mb, absolute service time: 0,57 sec