Is it safe to store a reference to an element of a list?

Question

Is it safe to store a reference to an element in a std::list as long as that element is not removed from the list? I see from this question that it is safe to store list iterators, but is the same true for direct references?

For example

list<int> mylist;
mylist.push_back(3);
int& myint = *mylist.begin();

// modfy mylist

cout << "myint: " << myint << endl;

will myint always be valid as long I don't remove it from the list?

Answer 1

Is it safe to store a reference to an element in a std::list as long as that element is not removed from the list?

Yes. Insertions and erasures do not invalidate references or iterators to elements in a std::list (except, of course, that references and iterators to an erased element is no longer valid).

Answer 2

Yes, it's safe. The element won't move, so the reference will only be invalidated in the same circumstances that the iterator would.