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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-05-16T23:22:15+00:00

Came across this one while browsing the response to another question on SO (

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Came across this one while browsing the response to another question on SO (References Vs Variable Gets).
My question is that for all 64bit environments is it guaranteed that a reference to a variable will be of 64 bits even if the original had a lesser size? As in char references in 64bit environment would be >sizeof(char)? Is there any section in the standard which specifies this explicitly?

EDIT: For more clarity —
char c1 = ‘a’;
char& c2 = c1;
My question is sizeof(c2) > sizeof(c1) in 64bit machines?

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    The Standard (ISO C++-03) says the following thing about references

    It is unspecified whether or not a reference requires storage (3.7).

    Please someone correct me if I am wrong or if I have not understood his question correctly.

    EDIT:

    My question is sizeof(c2) > sizeof(c1) in 64bit machines?

    No, as @Chubsdad noticed sizeof(c2) = sizeof (c1), the relevant quote from the Standard is

    When applied to a reference or a reference type, the result is the size of the referenced type. (ISO C++ $5.3.3/2)

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