Got your attention! :grinning:

I am wondering if someone could display a very simple example of using references vs. pointers for object composition. I am still a little confused.

Here's an example of what I'm describing in Ruby for brevities sake:

class Brain
   attr_accessor :man
   def initialize(m)
      :man = m
   end
end

class Man
   attr_accessor :brain
   def initialize(b)
      :brain = b
   end
end

m = Man.new()

m.brain          # mans brain
puts m.brain.man # self

I realize in ANSI C you would just use pointers, but I am choosing to use references since my embedded objects will be permanent. I also prefer the dot ( . ) operator as well vs. the (->) pointer notation.

Would someone be willing to provide a concise example of the above Ruby in C++?

That's not valid ruby code. Maybe you mean like:

class Brain
  def man; :man; end
end
 
class Man
  attr :brain
  def initialize; @brain = Brain.new; end
end
 
m = Man.new()
 
puts m.brain     # mans brain
puts m.brain.man # self

Code validation and output.

Tragedy of the Commons

You have to do it in C++ using pointers, too.

Meh.

struct Brain{
   struct Man& man;

   Brain( Man& m ) : man(m) {}

   void do_brain_stuff(){}
};

struct Man{
   Brain brain;

   Man() : brain( *this ) {}

   void do_man_stuff(){}
};

int main(){
   Man m;
   m.brain.do_brain_stuff();
   m.brain.man.do_man_stuff();
   return 0;
}

You have brain local to Man, so you can't reuse the same brain for multiple men…

If I turn my head to the side I can pretend they're odd-shaped glasses of Guinness.

hahaha. funny stuff.