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Groups > comp.lang.c++ > #82769

Re: Inline functions and locals

From Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c++
Subject Re: Inline functions and locals
Date 2022-01-13 17:51 -0800
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <srqkvk$3vi$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <srmvu4$oie$1@gioia.aioe.org>

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On 1/12/2022 8:34 AM, Muttley@dastardlyhq.com wrote:
> I'm curious as to why returning a reference to a local inside an inline
> function isn't (apparently) allowed. eg:
> 
> #include <iostream>
> #include <string>
> 
> using namespace std;
> 
> inline string &func()
> {
>          string s = "hello";
>          return s;
> }
> 
> 
> 
> int main()
> {
>          cout << func() << endl;
>          return 0;
> }
> 
> This causes a compilation warning with clang and when run prints out garbage
> as you'd expect if it were a non inline. However surely if the function is
> truly inline it should work. 

Um... You are seriously confused. This is a rather widespread 
misconception that keyword `inline` has something to do with "inlining" 
function code at the call site.

1. "Declaring function as inline" and "embedding (inlining) function 
code at a specific call site" are two completely different, independent, 
unrelated things. In your example you simply declared a function as 
`inline`, yet in your post you seem to be talking about embedding at a 
specific call site. This makes no sense at all.

2. Keyword `inline` has absolutely nothing to do with embedding function 
code at the call site. The purpose of `inline` keyword is to allow you 
to defeat ODR restrictions for a function (or a variable) with external 
linkage. By using `inline` you can provide multiple definitions of 
functions (or variables) in your program and still not get those 
"multiple definitions" complaints from the linker. That's the only thing 
keyword `inline` does. That's what it is for.

3. Compiler decisions about embedding function code at a specific call 
site is made independently at each call site. These decisions are not in 
any way related to keyword `inline`. Even when a specific calls is 
embedded, it still preserves the "normal" unembedded semantics of the 
call. Local variables are destroyed at the same spot as they would be 
destroyed in a normal call. You can't return references to automatic 
variables from functions, period.

So, again, you seem to be mixing to completely unrelated matters. Don't 
do this.

> Are locals for inlines temporaries created on the
> heap instead of being stored on the same stack as the calling function locals?

Strange question. Yes, they _are_ stored on the same stack. But why does 
it matter? The language says that automatic variables are gone once the 
function finishes working. That's all you need to know. Especially when 
it comes to such non-trivial objects as `std::string`, whose lifetime is 
not really limited by storage duration, but rather by 
construction/destruction timeline.

-- 
Best regards,
Andrey Tarasevich

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Thread

Inline functions and locals Muttley@dastardlyhq.com - 2022-01-12 16:34 +0000
  Re: Inline functions and locals Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2022-01-12 17:38 +0100
  Re: Inline functions and locals James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2022-01-12 12:47 -0500
  Re: Inline functions and locals Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-01-13 07:00 +0000
    Re: Inline functions and locals "Alf P. Steinbach" <alf.p.steinbach@gmail.com> - 2022-01-13 10:45 +0100
      Re: Inline functions and locals Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-01-17 12:55 +0000
        Re: Inline functions and locals David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2022-01-17 15:14 +0100
        Re: Inline functions and locals Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-01-17 10:24 -0800
          Re: Inline functions and locals David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2022-01-17 19:46 +0100
    Re: Inline functions and locals Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2022-01-13 11:08 +0100
      Re: Inline functions and locals Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-01-13 19:30 -0800
  Re: Inline functions and locals Paavo Helde <eesnimi@osa.pri.ee> - 2022-01-13 12:46 +0200
    Re: Inline functions and locals Muttley@dastardlyhq.com - 2022-01-13 15:38 +0000
  Re: Inline functions and locals Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-01-13 17:51 -0800
    Re: Inline functions and locals Muttley@dastardlyhq.com - 2022-01-14 11:22 +0000
      Re: Inline functions and locals Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2022-01-14 04:02 -0800
        Re: Inline functions and locals Manfred <invalid@invalid.add> - 2022-01-14 17:30 +0100
          Re: Inline functions and locals Muttley@dastardlyhq.com - 2022-01-14 16:49 +0000
        Re: Inline functions and locals Muttley@dastardlyhq.com - 2022-01-14 16:40 +0000
          Re: Inline functions and locals Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2022-01-14 11:28 -0800
          Re: Inline functions and locals "Alf P. Steinbach" <alf.p.steinbach@gmail.com> - 2022-01-14 20:29 +0100
      Re: Inline functions and locals James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2022-01-14 08:34 -0500
        Re: Inline functions and locals James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2022-01-14 11:26 -0500
          Re: Inline functions and locals David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2022-01-14 18:47 +0100
      Re: Inline functions and locals Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-01-14 08:43 -0800
        Re: Inline functions and locals Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-01-17 05:38 +0000
          Re: Inline functions and locals David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2022-01-17 08:12 +0100
            Re: Inline functions and locals "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2022-01-16 23:51 -0800
              Re: Inline functions and locals "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2022-01-16 23:55 -0800
              Re: Inline functions and locals David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2022-01-17 11:35 +0100
            Re: Inline functions and locals Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-01-17 09:50 +0000
              Re: Inline functions and locals James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2022-01-17 14:39 -0500
                Re: Inline functions and locals Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2022-01-17 15:34 -0800
                Re: Inline functions and locals "james...@alumni.caltech.edu" <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2022-01-17 15:50 -0800
                Re: Inline functions and locals Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2022-04-25 03:42 -0700
                Re: Inline functions and locals "james...@alumni.caltech.edu" <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2022-04-25 08:48 -0700
          Re: Inline functions and locals Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-01-16 23:53 -0800
            Re: Inline functions and locals Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2022-01-17 15:29 -0800
    Re: Inline functions and locals Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2022-01-17 12:40 +0100
      Re: Inline functions and locals Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-01-17 10:13 -0800
        Re: Inline functions and locals James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2022-01-17 16:15 -0500
          Re: Inline functions and locals Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-01-17 16:28 -0800
            Re: Inline functions and locals James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2022-01-17 22:55 -0500
              Re: Inline functions and locals Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-01-18 11:32 -0800
                Re: Inline functions and locals James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2022-01-18 19:03 -0500
                Re: Inline functions and locals Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-01-18 17:22 -0800
        Re: Inline functions and locals Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2022-01-18 09:20 +0100

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