When to use references vs. pointers

Question

I understand the syntax and general semantics of pointers versus references, but how should I decide when it is more-or-less appropriate to use references or pointers in an

Answer 1

Points to keep in mind:

1. Pointers can be NULL, references cannot be NULL.

2. References are easier to use, const can be used for a reference when we don't want to change value and just need a reference in a function.

3. Pointer used with a * while references used with a &.

4. Use pointers when pointer arithmetic operation are required.

5. You can have pointers to a void type int a=5; void *p = &a; but cannot have a reference to a void type.

Pointer Vs Reference

void fun(int *a)
{
    cout<

Verdict when to use what

Pointer: For array, linklist, tree implementations and pointer arithmetic.

Reference: In function parameters and return types.