return value of operator overloading in C++

Question

I have a question about the return value of operator overloading in C++. Generally, I found two cases, one is return-by-value, and one is return-by-reference. So what\'s the

Answer 1

Usually you return by reference in an operation that changes the value of the things it's operating on, like = or +=. All other operations are return by value.

This is more a rule of thumb, though. You can design your operator either way.