Error while passing a reference of a vector to a function.

**manasij7479** · 02-19-2011

First of all , I can't understand the error message.

Code:

error: invalid initialization of non-const
 reference of type ‘stack&’ from a temporary of
 type ‘std::vector<sub, std::allocator<sub> >

The function call looks like:

Code:

flag = operate(&stack,&temp);
//where stack is a vector<sub> 
//and temp is an object of class 'sub'

And the declaration of the function looks like:

Code:

bool operate(std::vector<sub>&,sub&);

I am literally at my wits end.. But this works fine if the whole stack is passed and returned from the function , which would have a large overhead in case the stack is big enough.

**grumpy** · 02-19-2011

In the function call of operate() the ampersands are not necessary. The arguments the function expects are references, not pointers.

Depending on what standard headers you have #include'd (including if they #include each other) you may have a problem as std::stack is a templated type in the standard library. Particularly if you have a "using namespace std;" or some other using directive active that makes the compiler give a match to std::stack when it sees the name "stack".

**manasij7479** · 02-19-2011

Then ..would std::stack be a better way to implement stacks ?..the name seems to suggests so...and does it behave identically to std::vector ?

**grumpy** · 02-19-2011

It would conventionally be considered a good bet to assume that a standard library class named "stack" implements a stack.

std::stack provides member functions like push(), pop(), and top() which are conventionally associated with stacks and not with vectors. std::stack (by default) delegates to a std::vector to hold the data.

So, no, a stack does not behave identically to a vector. It provides a different interface - a stack does not provide the methods (aka member functions) that vector does, and stack also provides some methods that vector does not.

As to whether you are better off using stack or vector: that depends on need of your program.

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