I have a vector variable named intVec, and I have a function named pushBack, that accepts a vector of type integer just like intVec, but when I actually pass that vector into the function in order to push_back the x parameter, nothing seems to happen.
Output expected from intVec.size()
is 1
Output given from intVec.size()
is 0
I'm genuinely confused as to what I'm doing incorrectly here.
Perhaps I'm missing something extremely obvious.
#include <vector>
std::vector<int> intVec;
void pushBack(int x, std::vector<int> vec) {
vec.push_back(x);
}
int main() {
pushBack(10, intVec);
std::cout << intVec.size();
}
That is because you pass the vector by value
instead of by reference
(or pointer).
This means, that when you call the function, the vector you call 'push_back' on is actually an independent copy of the original vector, which get deallocated upon leaving the function.
Try this header instead:
void pushBack(int x, std::vector<int> &vec) {
vec.push_back(x);
}
The &
tells the compiler to pass by reference
, meaning that whatever you do to vec
, you also do to the vector you originally passed.