No, it doesn't. It has pointers, but they're not quite the same thing.
In particular, all arguments in C are passed by value, rather than pass-by-reference being available as in C++. Of course, you can sort of simulate pass-by-reference via pointers:
void foo(int *x)
{
*x = 10;
}
...
int y = 0;
foo(&y); // Pass the pointer by value
// The value of y is now 10
For more details about the differences between pointers and references, see this SO question. (And please don't ask me, as I'm not a C or C++ programmer :)
Answer from Jon Skeet on Stack Overflowcppreference.com
en.cppreference.com › c
C reference - cppreference.com
Create account · Log in · Page · Discussion · Read · View source · View history · From cppreference.com · C · [edit] Support us · Recent changes · FAQ · Offline version · What links here · Related changes · Upload file · Special pages · Printable version ·
GNU
gnu.org › software › gnu-c-manual › gnu-c-manual.html
The GNU C Reference Manual
Next: Lexical Elements, Previous: Top, Up: Top [Contents][Index] This is a reference manual for the C programming language as implemented by the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC).
Does C have references? - Stack Overflow
Does C have references? i.e. as in C++ : void foo(int &i) More on stackoverflow.com
Which C reference book do you recommend?
C: A Reference Manual, Fifth Edition by Harbison and Steele! (c99) https://www.amazon.com/Reference-Manual-Samuel-P-Harbison/dp/013089592X And of course C99 and C89 standards drafts! More on reddit.com
16
6
August 2, 2018pointers vs references
Are you using C++? C++ has both pointers * and references &. References are really just syntactic sugar (a convenience) for pointers.
C has no references, though.
More on reddit.com 13
0
October 4, 2018C: A Reference Manual 6th edition?
Personally I think C A Reference Manual is the #1 book to have. Not even a close call. That said, I have heard nothing of a 6th edition. More on reddit.com
9
7
March 16, 2014Videos
02:17:14
Reference Counting in C - YouTube
05:43
What is Call By Reference in C Programming | C Tutorial for Beginners ...
05:44
what even is a "reference"? - YouTube
10:12
Pass By Reference | C Programming Tutorial - YouTube
24:53
C++ Beginner Tutorial - Basics - #96 - Reference && R-Value - YouTube
07:11
Reference (&) Operator in C++ - Alias Variable in C++ - YouTube
Reddit
reddit.com › r/c_programming › does c really need references?
r/C_Programming on Reddit: Does C really need references?
August 31, 2022 -
Could the language have just used pointers instead ? I don’t really understand purpose of reference except code might be easier to write.
Top answer 1 of 2
95
No, it doesn't. It has pointers, but they're not quite the same thing.
In particular, all arguments in C are passed by value, rather than pass-by-reference being available as in C++. Of course, you can sort of simulate pass-by-reference via pointers:
void foo(int *x)
{
*x = 10;
}
...
int y = 0;
foo(&y); // Pass the pointer by value
// The value of y is now 10
For more details about the differences between pointers and references, see this SO question. (And please don't ask me, as I'm not a C or C++ programmer :)
2 of 2
26
Conceptually, C has references, since pointers reference other objects.
Syntactically, C does not have references as C++ does.
W3Schools
w3schools.com › c › c_ref_reference.php
C Reference Documentation
HTML Certificate CSS Certificate JavaScript Certificate Front End Certificate SQL Certificate Python Certificate PHP Certificate jQuery Certificate Java Certificate C++ Certificate C# Certificate XML Certificate ... W3Schools is optimized for learning and training. Examples might be simplified to improve reading and learning. Tutorials, references, and examples are constantly reviewed to avoid errors, but we cannot warrant full correctness of all content.
Medium
medium.com › @kasra_mp › my-top-4-c-programming-references-f2dda61058
My top 4 C programming references | by Kasra Madadipouya | Medium
December 20, 2022 - I can’t recommend this book enough. You must read it if you are serious about C programming. It is written by Samuel P. Harbison III and Guy L. Steele Jr. As its name says, the book is a reference manual.
Quora
quora.com › Why-is-reference-not-the-same-as-a-pointer-in-C
Why is reference not the same as a pointer in C? - Quora
Answer (1 of 5): Original question: > Why is reference not the same as a pointer in C? The C language doesn’t have references. It has pointers. So, staying within the context of the C language, there is no way to compare pointers (which exist) with references (which do not exist). The C++ lang...
Cppreference
cppreference.com
cppreference.com
Create account · Log in · Main Page · Discussion · Read · View source · View history · From cppreference.com · Support us · Recent changes · FAQ · Offline version · What links here · Related changes · Upload file · Special pages · Printable version ·
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Reference_(computer_science)
Reference (computer science) - Wikipedia
February 13, 2026 - In computer programming, a reference is a value that enables a program to indirectly access a particular datum, such as a variable's value or a record, in the computer's memory or in some other storage device. The reference is said to refer to the datum, and accessing the datum is called ...
Columbia University
cs.columbia.edu › ~sedwards › papers › cman.pdf pdf
- C Reference Manual Dennis M. Ritchie Bell Telephone Laboratories
The result of the unary & operator is a pointer to the object referred to by the lvalue-expression. If the type of the · lvalue-expression is ‘‘. . . ’’, the type of the result is ‘‘pointer to .. .’’. ... The result is the negative of the expression, and has the same type. The type of the expression must be char,
Emory
cs.emory.edu › ~cheung › Courses › 255 › Syllabus › 2-C-adv-data › ref-type.html
The reference data type and reference variables
C programming language so · special: The · reference data type allows the · program · reference (= point) to · any where in the · computer memory and · access data stored at that · memory location !!! Reference data type · Reference: Reference (or pointer) data type: Consequently: Reference variables....
University of Toronto
dgp.toronto.edu › ~patrick › csc418 › wi2004 › notes › PointersVsRef.pdf pdf
C/C++ Pointers vs References Consider the following code: Pointers References
The main effect of this is that the address can directly be manipulated if it is a pointer. ... References are the preferred way of indirectly accessing a variable.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
rose-hulman.edu › class › csse › csse132 › 2526c › c-refcard.pdf pdf
C Reference Card (ANSI) Program Structure/Functions type fnc(type1,. . . )
C Reference Card (ANSI) Input/Output <stdio.h> Standard I/O · standard input stream · stdin · standard output stream · stdout · standard error stream · stderr · end of file · EOF · get a character · getchar() print a character · putchar(chr ) print formatted data ·
College Board
apcentral.collegeboard.org › media › pdf › ap-physics-c-mechanics-equations-sheet.pdf pdf
AP® Physics C: Mechanics Exam Reference Information
The following conventions are used in this exam. ... The frame of reference of any problem is assumed to be inertial unless otherwise stated.
Connecticut General Assembly
cga.ct.gov
C G A - Connecticut General Assembly
If you don't already have a Freedom of Information Records Center account, please create one for request, tracking and communication purposes.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
osha.gov › laws-regs › regulations › standardnumber › 1910
1910 | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
1910 Subpart I App C - Personal Fall Protection Systems Non-Mandatory Guidelines. 1910 Subpart I App D - Test Methods and Procedures for Personal Fall Protection Systems Non-Mandatory Guidelines. ... 1910 Subpart L App D - Availability of Publications Incorporated by Reference in Section 1910.156 Fire Brigades
IPCC
ipcc.ch › report › ar6 › syr › downloads › report › IPCC_AR6_SYR_SPM.pdf pdf
A Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change CLIMATE CHANGE 2023
© Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2023
Cplusplus
cplusplus.com › reference › string › string
std::string
Reference · Articles · Forum · <cassert> (assert.h) <cctype> (ctype.h) <cerrno> (errno.h) C++11 <cfenv> (fenv.h) <cfloat> (float.h) C++11 <cinttypes> (inttypes.h) <ciso646> (iso646.h) <climits> (limits.h) <clocale> (locale.h) <cmath> (math.h) <csetjmp> (setjmp.h) <csignal> (signal.h) <cstdarg> (stdarg.h) C++11 <cstdbool> (stdbool.h) <cstddef> (stddef.h) C++11 <cstdint> (stdint.h) <cstdio> (stdio.h) <cstdlib> (stdlib.h) <cstring> (string.h) C++11 <ctgmath> (tgmath.h) <ctime> (time.h) C++11 <cuchar> (uchar.h) <cwchar> (wchar.h) <cwctype> (wctype.h) C++11 <array> <deque> C++11 <forward_list> <
COE
rm.coe.int › common-european-framework-of-reference-for-languages-learning-teaching › 16809ea0d4 pdf
Companion volume COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK OF REFERENCE FOR LANGUAGES:
CEFR is being used not only to provide transparency and clear reference points for assessment purposes but · also, increasingly, to inform curriculum reform and pedagogy.