C++ Reference Variable [closed] - c++

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How to use 'reference variables' in C++ classes?
I have the following code that I want to put into a class: (note KinectCV&)
KinectCV& kinect = freenect.createDevice(0);
kinect.some_init_functions();
while(condition) {
// getting frames from kinect and processing
kinect.some_processing_functions();
}
kinect.some_stopping_functions();
I'm trying to make a class and separate init, process and stop functions:
class MyKinect {
public:
KinectCV kinect;
void init(){
/* I cannot use the '& kinect = freenect.createDevice(0);' syntax, help me in this */
}
void process(){
kinect.some_processing_functions();
}
void stop(){
kinect.some_stopping_functions();
}
}

Answer 1

I cannot use the '& kinect = freenect.createDevice(0)
That is right, you cannot assign references; once initialized, they refer to the same object forever. What looks like an assignment in your code that works
KinectCV& kinect = freenect.createDevice(0);
is not an assignment, it's initialization. It can be rewritten using the initialization syntax instead of the assignment syntax, like this:
KinectCV& kinect(freenect.createDevice(0));
The reason behind it is that in C++ all initialization must happen in the constructor, not in a "designated initialization function". C++ has no idea that init is your initialization function; all it knows is that once the constructor is over, the object must be in a consistent state, included with all the references that it might hold.
Moving the initialization code into MyKinect's constructor will fix the problem:
class MyKinect {
public:
KinectCV kinect;
MyKinect() : kinect(freenect.createDevice(0)) {
}
}