C++ compiler warning - returning local variable

Question

I\'m simply trying to overload a + operator and I\'m getting this compiler warning

reference to local variable \'tmp\' returned

Here is the

Answer 1

What you try to do is to return a reference to a memory location that will be invalid the moment you return it.

The variable tmp will disappear when it goes out of scope (that is, when operator+ is finished).

Because your return type is Int&, not the value of tmp is returned at "return tmp" but a reference to tmp. This is not correct because tmp will not exist anymore after the method is finished!!

Solution: Do not return as reference, but as Int