Overload return of a pointer with reference and pointer

Question

I got following code:

 class myarray 
 {  

    float* rawdata;

    float*   GetRawData () const noexcept { return rawdata; };
    float&   GetRawData () const noexcept { return rawdata; };
    const float&   GetRawData () const noexcept { return rawdata; };


 }

I get compiler error saying it is not possible to overload the first two member functions. Is it not possible for C++ to distinguish since we in a reference would have a different syntax when invoking the function

Any [decent book](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/388242/the-definitive-c-book-guide-and-list), class or tutorial should have mentioned it. — Some programmer dude, Feb 20 '21 at 14:34
When writing `myarray x; x.GetRawData();` which function should be called? The compiler could not decide. Thus it is not allowed. — Werner Henze, Feb 20 '21 at 14:35
*since we in a reference would have a different syntax when invoking the function* That's not really true. They would both be invoked by writing `GetRawData()`. What we do with the return value is not something the compiler takes into consideration when choosing an overload. — super, Feb 20 '21 at 14:36

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited Feb 20 '21 at 17:02

Is it not possible for C++ to distinguish

It is not. Overloading is possible with different parameter lists, and in the case of member functions, ref/const qualifiers. But not by return values. Your overloads have identical parameter lists and ref/const qualifiers, so they cannot overload each other.

since we in a reference would have a different syntax when invoking the function

No, we wouldn't. The invokation is identical in both cases:

this->GetRawData()

Overload return of a pointer with reference and pointer

1 Answers1