Declare a vector in a function call and pass it by reference

Question

I'd like to declare a vector this way:

myFunction(new std::vector<stuff>{});

With the vector passed as a reference:

void myFunction(const std::vector<stuff> &myVec);

Answer 1

You don't need to new the argument (which in any case returns a pointer, not an lvalue). You can simply pass a temporary:

myFunction(std::vector<stuff>{});

A temporary can bind to a const lvalue reference.

Answer 2

If the parameter is optional, you can simply declare the function as

void myFunction(const std::vector<stuff>& myVec = std::vector<stuff>{});

Then, you can call it like myFunction() when the default argument is fine.