Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 24 Hours, Third Edition

When to Use References and When to Use Pointers

Generally, C++ programmers strongly prefer references to pointers because they are cleaner and easier to use. References cannot be reassigned, however. If you need to point first to one object and then to another, you must use a pointer. References cannot be null, so if there is any chance that the object in question might be null, you must not use a reference. You must use a pointer.