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In Java you can simply return this to get the current object. How do you do this in C++?
Java:
class MyClass { MyClass example() { return this; } } 
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this means pointer to the object, so *this is an object. So you are returning an object ie, *this returns a reference to the object.
Return Type − A function may return a value. The return_type is the data type of the value the function returns. Some functions perform the desired operations without returning a value. In this case, the return_type is the keyword void. Function Name − This is the actual name of the function.
A return statement ends the execution of a function, and returns control to the calling function. Execution resumes in the calling function at the point immediately following the call. A return statement can return a value to the calling function.
The statement return this; returns the address of the object while the statement return *this; returns the value of the object.
Well, first off, you can't return anything from a void-returning function.
There are three ways to return something which provides access to the current object: by pointer, by reference, and by value.
class myclass { public: // Return by pointer needs const and non-const versions myclass* ReturnPointerToCurrentObject() { return this; } const myclass* ReturnPointerToCurrentObject() const { return this; } // Return by reference needs const and non-const versions myclass& ReturnReferenceToCurrentObject() { return *this; } const myclass& ReturnReferenceToCurrentObject() const { return *this; } // Return by value only needs one version. myclass ReturnCopyOfCurrentObject() const { return *this; } }; As indicated, each of the three ways returns the current object in slightly different form. Which one you use depends upon which form you need.
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