Question

Stream variables (for example, ifstream and ofstream) should be passed by ________ to a function.

a. Reference
b. Value
c. Pointer
d. Address

Answer 1

Stream variables like ifstream and ofstream should be passed by reference to a function in order to prevent copying and maintain consistent stream state.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is regarding how stream variables, such as ifstream and ofstream, should be passed to a function in C++ programming.

The correct way to pass these types of variables to a function is by reference. This is because passing by reference does not create a copy of the stream object, which is important since copying stream objects can lead to errors and undefined behavior.

Passing by reference allows the function to work directly with the original stream object, ensuring that the state of the stream remains consistent and efficient I/O operations are performed.