what is lvalue required as left operand of assignment

Solve error: lvalue required as left operand of assignment

In this tutorial you will know about one of the most occurred error in C and C++ programming, i.e.  lvalue required as left operand of assignment.

lvalue means left side value. Particularly it is left side value of an assignment operator.

rvalue means right side value. Particularly it is right side value or expression of an assignment operator.

In above example  a  is lvalue and b + 5  is rvalue.

In C language lvalue appears mainly at four cases as mentioned below:

• Left of assignment operator.
• Left of member access (dot) operator (for structure and unions).
• Right of address-of operator (except for register and bit field lvalue).
• As operand to pre/post increment or decrement for integer lvalues including Boolean and enums.

Now let see some cases where this error occur with code.

When you will try to run above code, you will get following error.

Solution: In if condition change assignment operator to comparison operator, as shown below.

Above code will show the error: lvalue required as left operand of assignment operator.

Here problem occurred due to wrong handling of short hand operator (*=) in findFact() function.

Solution : Just by changing the line ans*i=ans to ans*=i we can avoid that error. Here short hand operator expands like this,  ans=ans*i. Here left side some variable is there to store result. But in our program ans*i is at left hand side. It’s an expression which produces some result. While using assignment operator we can’t use an expression as lvalue.

The correct code is shown below.

Above code will show the same lvalue required error.

Reason and Solution: Ternary operator produces some result, it never assign values inside operation. It is same as a function which has return type. So there should be something to be assigned but unlike inside operator.

The correct code is given below.

Some Precautions To Avoid This Error

There are no particular precautions for this. Just look into your code where problem occurred, like some above cases and modify the code according to that.

Mostly 90% of this error occurs when we do mistake in comparison and assignment operations. When using pointers also we should careful about this error. And there are some rare reasons like short hand operators and ternary operators like above mentioned. We can easily rectify this error by finding the line number in compiler, where it shows error: lvalue required as left operand of assignment.

Programming Assignment Help on Assigncode.com, that provides homework ecxellence in every technical assignment.

Comment below if you have any queries related to above tutorial.

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hi sir , i am andalib can you plz send compiler of c++.

i want the solution by char data type for this error

#include #include #include using namespace std; #define pi 3.14 int main() { float a; float r=4.5,h=1.5; {

a=2*pi*r*h=1.5 + 2*pi*pow(r,2); } cout<<" area="<<a<<endl; return 0; } what's the problem over here

#include using namespace std; #define pi 3.14 int main() { float a,p; float r=4.5,h=1.5; p=2*pi*r*h; a=1.5 + 2*pi*pow(r,2);

cout<<" area="<<a<<endl; cout<<" perimeter="<<p<<endl; return 0; }

You can't assign two values at a single place. Instead solve them differetly

Hi. I am trying to get a double as a string as efficiently as possible. I get that error for the final line on this code. double x = 145.6; int size = sizeof(x); char str[size]; &str = &x; Is there a possible way of getting the string pointing at the same part of the RAM as the double?

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Lvalue Required as Left Operand of Assignment: What It Means and How to Fix It

Lvalue Required as Left Operand of Assignment

Have you ever tried to assign a value to a variable and received an error message like “lvalue required as left operand of assignment”? If so, you’re not alone. This error is a common one, and it can be frustrating to figure out what it means.

In this article, we’ll take a look at what an lvalue is, why it’s required as the left operand of an assignment, and how to fix this error. We’ll also provide some examples to help you understand the concept of lvalues.

So if you’re ever stuck with this error, don’t worry – we’re here to help!

In this tutorial, we will discuss what an lvalue is and why it is required as the left operand of an assignment operator. We will also provide some examples of lvalues and how they can be used.

What is an lvalue?

An lvalue is an expression that refers to a memory location. In other words, an lvalue is an expression that can be assigned a value. For example, the following expressions are all lvalues:

int x = 10; char c = ‘a’; float f = 3.14;

The first expression, `int x = 10;`, defines a variable named `x` and assigns it the value of 10. The second expression, `char c = ‘a’;`, defines a variable named `c` and assigns it the value of the character `a`. The third expression, `float f = 3.14;`, defines a variable named `f` and assigns it the value of 3.14.

Why is an lvalue required as the left operand of an assignment?

The left operand of an assignment operator must be a modifiable lvalue. This is because the assignment operator assigns the value of the right operand to the lvalue on the left. If the lvalue is not modifiable, then the assignment operator will not be able to change its value.

For example, the following code will not compile:

int x = 10; const int y = x; y = 20; // Error: assignment of read-only variable

The error message is telling us that the variable `y` is const, which means that it is not modifiable. Therefore, we cannot assign a new value to it.

Examples of lvalues

Here are some examples of lvalues:

• Variable names: `x`, `y`, `z`
• Arrays: `a[0]`, `b[10]`, `c[20]`
• Pointers: `&x`, `&y`, `&z`
• Function calls: `printf()`, `scanf()`, `strlen()`
• Constants: `10`, `20`, `3.14`

In this tutorial, we have discussed what an lvalue is and why it is required as the left operand of an assignment operator. We have also provided some examples of lvalues.

I hope this tutorial has been helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments below.

3. How to identify an lvalue?

An lvalue can be identified by its syntax. Lvalues are always preceded by an ampersand (&). For example, the following expressions are all lvalues:

4. Common mistakes with lvalues

One common mistake is to try to assign a value to an rvalue. For example, the following code will not compile:

int x = 5; int y = x = 10;

This is because the expression `x = 10` is an rvalue, and rvalues cannot be used on the left-hand side of an assignment operator.

Another common mistake is to forget to use the ampersand (&) when referring to an lvalue. For example, the following code will not compile:

int x = 5; *y = x;

This is because the expression `y = x` is not a valid lvalue.

Finally, it is important to be aware of the difference between lvalues and rvalues. Lvalues can be used on the left-hand side of an assignment operator, while rvalues cannot.

In this article, we have discussed the lvalue required as left operand of assignment error. We have also provided some tips on how to identify and avoid this error. If you are still having trouble with this error, you can consult with a C++ expert for help.

Q: What does “lvalue required as left operand of assignment” mean?

A: An lvalue is an expression that refers to a memory location. When you assign a value to an lvalue, you are storing the value in that memory location. For example, the expression `x = 5` assigns the value `5` to the variable `x`.

The error “lvalue required as left operand of assignment” occurs when you try to assign a value to an expression that is not an lvalue. For example, the expression `5 = x` is not valid because the number `5` is not an lvalue.

Q: How can I fix the error “lvalue required as left operand of assignment”?

A: There are a few ways to fix this error.

• Make sure the expression on the left side of the assignment operator is an lvalue. For example, you can change the expression `5 = x` to `x = 5`.
• Use the `&` operator to create an lvalue from a rvalue. For example, you can change the expression `5 = x` to `x = &5`.
• Use the `()` operator to call a function and return the value of the function call. For example, you can change the expression `5 = x` to `x = f()`, where `f()` is a function that returns a value.

Q: What are some common causes of the error “lvalue required as left operand of assignment”?

A: There are a few common causes of this error.

• Using a literal value on the left side of the assignment operator. For example, the expression `5 = x` is not valid because the number `5` is not an lvalue.
• Using a rvalue reference on the left side of the assignment operator. For example, the expression `&x = 5` is not valid because the rvalue reference `&x` cannot be assigned to.
• Using a function call on the left side of the assignment operator. For example, the expression `f() = x` is not valid because the function call `f()` returns a value, not an lvalue.

Q: What are some tips for avoiding the error “lvalue required as left operand of assignment”?

A: Here are a few tips for avoiding this error:

• Always make sure the expression on the left side of the assignment operator is an lvalue. This means that the expression should refer to a memory location where a value can be stored.
• Use the `&` operator to create an lvalue from a rvalue. This is useful when you need to assign a value to a variable that is declared as a reference.
• Use the `()` operator to call a function and return the value of the function call. This is useful when you need to assign the return value of a function to a variable.

By following these tips, you can avoid the error “lvalue required as left operand of assignment” and ensure that your code is correct.

In this article, we discussed the lvalue required as left operand of assignment error. We learned that an lvalue is an expression that refers to a specific object, while an rvalue is an expression that does not refer to a specific object. We also saw that the lvalue required as left operand of assignment error occurs when you try to assign a value to an rvalue. To avoid this error, you can use the following techniques:

• Use the `const` keyword to make an rvalue into an lvalue.
• Use the `&` operator to create a reference to an rvalue.
• Use the `std::move()` function to move an rvalue into an lvalue.

We hope this article has been helpful. Please let us know if you have any questions.

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Demystifying C++‘s "lvalue Required as Left Operand of Assignment" Error

For C++ developers, seeing the compiler error "lvalue required as left operand of assignment" can be frustrating. But having a thorough understanding of what lvalues and rvalues are in C++ is the key to resolving issues that trigger this error.

This comprehensive guide will clarify the core concepts behind lvalues and rvalues, outline common situations that cause the error, provide concrete tips to fix it, and give best practices to avoid it in your code. By the end, you‘ll have an in-depth grasp of lvalues and rvalues in C++ and the knowledge to banish this pesky error for good!

What Triggers the "lvalue required" Error Message?

First, let‘s demystify what the error message itself means.

The key phrase is "lvalue required as left operand of assignment." This means the compiler expected to see an lvalue, but instead found an rvalue expression in a context where an lvalue is required.

Specifically, the compiler encountered an rvalue on the left-hand side of an assignment statement. Only lvalues are permitted in that position, hence the error.

To grasp why this happens, we need to understand lvalues and rvalues in depth. Let‘s explore what each means in C++.

Diving Into Lvalues and Rvalues in C++

The terms lvalue and rvalue refer to the role or "value category" of an expression in C++. They are fundamental to understanding the language‘s type system and usage rules around assignment, passing arguments, etc.

So What is an Lvalue Expression in C++?

An lvalue is an expression that represents an object that has an address in memory. The key qualities of lvalues:

• Allow accessing the object via its memory address, using the & address-of operator
• Persist beyond the expression they are part of
• Can appear on the left or right of an assignment statement

Some examples of lvalue expressions:

• Variables like int x;
• Function parameters like void func(int param) {...}
• Dereferenced pointers like *ptr
• Class member access like obj.member
• Array elements like arr[0]

In essence, lvalues refer to objects in memory that "live" beyond the current expression.

What is an Rvalue Expression?

In contrast, an rvalue is an expression that represents a temporary value rather than an object. Key qualities:

• Do not persist outside the expression they are part of
• Cannot be assigned to, only appear on right of assignment
• Examples: literals like 5 , "abc" , arithmetic expressions like x + 5 , function calls, etc.

Rvalues are ephemeral, temporary values that vanish once the expression finishes.

Let‘s see some examples that distinguish lvalues and rvalues:

Understanding the two value categories is crucial for learning C++ and avoiding errors.

Modifiable Lvalues vs Const Lvalues

There is an additional nuance around lvalues that matters for assignments – some lvalues are modifiable, while others are read-only const lvalues.

For example:

Only modifiable lvalues are permitted on the left side of assignments. Const lvalues will produce the "lvalue required" error if you attempt to assign to them.

Now that you have a firm grasp on lvalues and rvalues, let‘s examine code situations that often lead to the "lvalue required" error.

Common Code Situations that Cause This Error

Here are key examples of code that will trigger the "lvalue required as left operand of assignment" error, and why:

Accidentally Using = Instead of == in a Conditional Statement

Using the single = assignment operator rather than the == comparison operator is likely the most common cause of this error.

This is invalid because the = is assignment, not comparison, so the expression x = 5 results in an rvalue – but an lvalue is required in the if conditional.

The fix is simple – use the == comparison operator:

Now the x variable (an lvalue) is properly compared against 5 in the conditional expression.

According to data analyzed across open source C++ code bases, approximately 34% of instances of this error are caused by using = rather than ==. Stay vigilant!

Attempting to Assign to a Literal or Constant Value

Literal values and constants like 5, "abc", or true are rvalues – they are temporary values that cannot be assigned to. Code like:

Will fail, because the literals are not lvalues. Similarly:

Won‘t work because X is a const lvalue, which cannot be assigned to.

The fix is to assign the value to a variable instead:

Assigning the Result of Expressions and Function Calls

Expressions like x + 5 and function calls like doSomething() produce temporary rvalues, not persistent lvalues.

The compiler expects an lvalue to assign to, but the expression/function call return rvalues.

To fix, store the result in a variable first:

Now the rvalue result is stored in an lvalue variable, which can then be assigned to.

According to analysis , approximately 15% of cases stem from trying to assign to expressions or function calls directly.

Attempting to Modify Read-Only Variables

By default, the control variables declared in a for loop header are read-only. Consider:

The loop control variable i is read-only, and cannot be assigned to inside the loop – doing so will emit an "lvalue required" error.

Similarly, attempting to modify function parameters declared as const will fail:

The solution is to use a separate variable:

Now the values are assigned to regular modifiable lvalues instead of read-only ones.

There are a few other less common situations like trying to bind temporary rvalues to non-const references that can trigger the error as well. But the cases outlined above account for the large majority of instances.

Now let‘s move on to concrete solutions for resolving the error.

Fixing the "Lvalue Required" Error

When you encounter this error, here are key steps to resolve it:

• Examine the full error message – check which line it indicates caused the issue.
• Identify what expression is on the left side of the =. Often it‘s something you might not expect, like a literal, expression result, or function call return value rather than a proper variable.
• Determine if that expression is an lvalue or rvalue. Remember, only modifiable lvalues are allowed on the left side of assignment.
• If it is an rvalue, store the expression result in a temporary lvalue variable first , then you can assign to that variable.
• Double check conditionals to ensure you use == for comparisons, not =.
• Verify variables are modifiable lvalues , not const or for loop control variables.
• Take your time fixing the issue rather than quick trial-and-error edits to code. Understanding the root cause is important.

Top 10 Tips to Avoid the Error

Here are some key ways to proactively avoid the "lvalue required" mistake in your code:

• Know your lvalues from rvalues. Understanding value categories in C++ is invaluable.
• Be vigilant when coding conditionals. Take care to use == not =. Review each one.
• Avoid assigning to literals or const values. Verify variables are modifiable first.
• Initialize variables before attempting to assign to them.
• Use temporary variables to store expression/function call results before assigning.
• Don‘t return local variables by reference or pointer from functions.
• Take care with precedence rules, which can lead to unexpected rvalues.
• Use a good linter like cppcheck to automatically catch issues early.
• Learn from your mistakes – most developers make this error routinely until the lessons stick!
• When in doubt, look it up. Reference resources to check if something is an lvalue or rvalue if unsure.

Adopting these best practices and a vigilant mindset will help you write code that avoids lvalue errors.

Walkthrough of a Complete Example

Let‘s take a full program example and utilize the troubleshooting flowchart to resolve all "lvalue required" errors present:

Walking through the flowchart:

• Examine error message – points to line attempting to assign 5 = x;
• Left side of = is literal value 5 – which is an rvalue
• Fix by using temp variable – int temp = x; then temp = 5;

Repeat process for other errors:

• If statement – use == instead of = for proper comparison
• Expression result – store (x + 5) in temp variable before assigning 10 to it
• Read-only loop var i – introduce separate mutable var j to modify
• Const var X – cannot modify a const variable, remove assignment

The final fixed code:

By methodically stepping through each error instance, we can resolve all cases of invalid lvalue assignment.

While it takes some practice internalizing the difference between lvalues and rvalues, recognizing and properly handling each situation will become second nature over time.

The root cause of C++‘s "lvalue required as left operand of assignment" error stems from misunderstanding lvalues and rvalues. An lvalue represents a persistent object, and rvalues are temporary values. Key takeaways:

• Only modifiable lvalues are permitted on the left side of assignments
• Common errors include using = instead of ==, assigning to literals or const values, and assigning expression or function call results directly.
• Storing rvalues in temporary modifiable lvalue variables before assigning is a common fix.
• Take time to examine the error message, identify the expression at fault, and correct invalid rvalue usage.
• Improving lvalue/rvalue comprehension and using linter tools will help avoid the mistake.

Identifying and properly handling lvalues vs rvalues takes practice, but mastery will level up your C++ skills. You now have a comprehensive guide to recognizing and resolving this common error. The lvalue will prevail!

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12.2 — Value categories (lvalues and rvalues)

The value category of an expression

Lvalue and rvalue expressions

Lvalue expressions evaluate to an identifiable object. Rvalue expressions evaluate to a value.

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Understanding the meaning of lvalues and rvalues in C++

A lightweight introduction to a couple of basic C++ features that act as a foundation for bigger structures.

I have been struggling with the concepts of lvalue and rvalue in C++ since forever. I think that now is the right time to understand them for good, as they are getting more and more important with the evolution of the language.

Once the meaning of lvalues and rvalues is grasped, you can dive deeper into advanced C++ features like move semantics and rvalue references (more on that in future articles).

Lvalues and rvalues: a friendly definition

First of all, let's keep our heads away from any formal definition. In C++ an lvalue is something that points to a specific memory location. On the other hand, a rvalue is something that doesn't point anywhere. In general, rvalues are temporary and short lived, while lvalues live a longer life since they exist as variables. It's also fun to think of lvalues as containers and rvalues as things contained in the containers . Without a container, they would expire.

Let me show you some examples right away.

Here 666 is an rvalue; a number (technically a literal constant ) has no specific memory address, except for some temporary register while the program is running. That number is assigned to x , which is a variable. A variable has a specific memory location, so its an lvalue. C++ states that an assignment requires an lvalue as its left operand: this is perfectly legal.

Then with x , which is an lvalue, you can do stuff like that:

Here I'm grabbing the the memory address of x and putting it into y , through the address-of operator & . It takes an lvalue argument and produces an rvalue. This is another perfectly legal operation: on the left side of the assignment we have an lvalue (a variable), on the right side an rvalue produced by the address-of operator.

However, I can't do the following:

Yeah, that's obvious. But the technical reason is that 666 , being a literal constant — so an rvalue, doesn't have a specific memory location. I am assigning y to nowhere.

This is what GCC tells me if I run the program above:

He is damn right; the left operand of an assigment always require an lvalue, and in my program I'm using an rvalue ( 666 ).

I can't do that either:

He is right again. The & operator wants an lvalue in input, because only an lvalue has an address that & can process.

Functions returning lvalues and rvalues

We know that the left operand of an assigment must be an lvalue. Hence a function like the following one will surely throw the lvalue required as left operand of assignment error:

Crystal clear: setValue() returns an rvalue (the temporary number 6 ), which cannot be a left operand of assignment. Now, what happens if a function returns an lvalue instead? Look closely at the following snippet:

It works because here setGlobal returns a reference, unlike setValue() above. A reference is something that points to an existing memory location (the global variable) thus is an lvalue, so it can be assigned to. Watch out for & here: it's not the address-of operator, it defines the type of what's returned (a reference).

The ability to return lvalues from functions looks pretty obscure, yet it is useful when you are doing advanced stuff like implementing some overloaded operators. More on that in future chapters.

Lvalue to rvalue conversion

An lvalue may get converted to an rvalue: that's something perfectly legit and it happens quite often. Let's think of the addition + operator for example. According to the C++ specifications, it takes two rvalues as arguments and returns an rvalue.

Let's look at the following snippet:

Wait a minute: x and y are lvalues, but the addition operator wants rvalues: how come? The answer is quite simple: x and y have undergone an implicit lvalue-to-rvalue conversion . Many other operators perform such conversion — subtraction, addition and division to name a few.

Lvalue references

What about the opposite? Can an rvalue be converted to lvalue? Nope. It's not a technical limitation, though: it's the programming language that has been designed that way.

In C++, when you do stuff like

you are declarying yref as of type int& : a reference to y . It's called an lvalue reference . Now you can happily change the value of y through its reference yref .

We know that a reference must point to an existing object in a specific memory location, i.e. an lvalue. Here y indeed exists, so the code runs flawlessly.

Now, what if I shortcut the whole thing and try to assign 10 directly to my reference, without the object that holds it?

On the right side we have a temporary thing, an rvalue that needs to be stored somewhere in an lvalue.

On the left side we have the reference (an lvalue) that should point to an existing object. But being 10 a numeric constant, i.e. without a specific memory address, i.e. an rvalue, the expression clashes with the very spirit of the reference.

If you think about it, that's the forbidden conversion from rvalue to lvalue. A volatile numeric constant (rvalue) should become an lvalue in order to be referenced to. If that would be allowed, you could alter the value of the numeric constant through its reference. Pretty meaningless, isn't it? Most importantly, what would the reference point to once the numeric value is gone?

The following snippet will fail for the very same reason:

I'm passing a temporary rvalue ( 10 ) to a function that takes a reference as argument. Invalid rvalue to lvalue conversion. There's a workaround: create a temporary variable where to store the rvalue and then pass it to the function (as in the commented out code). Quite inconvenient when you just want to pass a number to a function, isn't it?

Const lvalue reference to the rescue

That's what GCC would say about the last two code snippets:

GCC complains about the reference not being const , namely a constant . According to the language specifications, you are allowed to bind a const lvalue to an rvalue . So the following snippet works like a charm:

And of course also the following one:

The idea behind is quite straightforward. The literal constant 10 is volatile and would expire in no time, so a reference to it is just meaningless. Let's make the reference itself a constant instead, so that the value it points to can't be modified. Now the problem of modifying an rvalue is solved for good. Again, that's not a technical limitation but a choice made by the C++ folks to avoid silly troubles.

This makes possible the very common C++ idiom of accepting values by constant references into functions, as I did in the previous snipped above, which avoids unnecessary copying and construction of temporary objects.

Under the hood the compiler creates an hidden variable for you (i.e. an lvalue) where to store the original literal constant, and then bounds that hidden variable to your reference. That's basically the same thing I did manually in a couple of snippets above. For example:

Now your reference points to something that exists for real (until it goes out of scope) and you can use it as usual, except for modifying the value it points to:

Understanding the meaning of lvalues and rvalues has given me the chance to figure out several of the C++'s inner workings. C++11 pushes the limits of rvalues even further, by introducing the concept of rvalue references and move semantics , where — surprise! — rvalues too are modifiable. I will restlessly dive into that minefield in one of my next articles.

Thomas Becker's Homepage - C++ Rvalue References Explained ( link ) Eli Bendersky's website - Understanding lvalues and rvalues in C and C++ ( link ) StackOverflow - Rvalue Reference is Treated as an Lvalue? ( link ) StackOverflow - Const reference and lvalue ( link ) CppReference.com - Reference declaration ( link )

Understanding lvalues and rvalues in C and C++

The terms lvalue and rvalue are not something one runs into often in C/C++ programming, but when one does, it's usually not immediately clear what they mean. The most common place to run into these terms are in compiler error & warning messages. For example, compiling the following with gcc :

True, this code is somewhat perverse and not something you'd write, but the error message mentions lvalue , which is not a term one usually finds in C/C++ tutorials. Another example is compiling this code with g++ :

Now the error is:

Here again, the error mentions some mysterious rvalue . So what do lvalue and rvalue mean in C and C++? This is what I intend to explore in this article.

A simple definition

This section presents an intentionally simplified definition of lvalues and rvalues . The rest of the article will elaborate on this definition.

An lvalue ( locator value ) represents an object that occupies some identifiable location in memory (i.e. has an address).

rvalues are defined by exclusion, by saying that every expression is either an lvalue or an rvalue . Therefore, from the above definition of lvalue , an rvalue is an expression that does not represent an object occupying some identifiable location in memory.

Basic examples

The terms as defined above may appear vague, which is why it's important to see some simple examples right away.

Let's assume we have an integer variable defined and assigned to:

An assignment expects an lvalue as its left operand, and var is an lvalue, because it is an object with an identifiable memory location. On the other hand, the following are invalid:

Neither the constant 4 , nor the expression var + 1 are lvalues (which makes them rvalues). They're not lvalues because both are temporary results of expressions, which don't have an identifiable memory location (i.e. they can just reside in some temporary register for the duration of the computation). Therefore, assigning to them makes no semantic sense - there's nowhere to assign to.

So it should now be clear what the error message in the first code snippet means. foo returns a temporary value which is an rvalue. Attempting to assign to it is an error, so when seeing foo() = 2; the compiler complains that it expected to see an lvalue on the left-hand-side of the assignment statement.

Not all assignments to results of function calls are invalid, however. For example, C++ references make this possible:

Here foo returns a reference, which is an lvalue , so it can be assigned to. Actually, the ability of C++ to return lvalues from functions is important for implementing some overloaded operators. One common example is overloading the brackets operator [] in classes that implement some kind of lookup access. std::map does this:

The assignment mymap[10] works because the non-const overload of std::map::operator[] returns a reference that can be assigned to.

Modifiable lvalues

Initially when lvalues were defined for C, it literally meant "values suitable for left-hand-side of assignment". Later, however, when ISO C added the const keyword, this definition had to be refined. After all:

So a further refinement had to be added. Not all lvalues can be assigned to. Those that can are called modifiable lvalues . Formally, the C99 standard defines modifiable lvalues as:

[...] an lvalue that does not have array type, does not have an incomplete type, does not have a const-qualified type, and if it is a structure or union, does not have any member (including, recursively, any member or element of all contained aggregates or unions) with a const-qualified type.

Conversions between lvalues and rvalues

Generally speaking, language constructs operating on object values require rvalues as arguments. For example, the binary addition operator '+' takes two rvalues as arguments and returns an rvalue:

As we've seen earlier, a and b are both lvalues. Therefore, in the third line, they undergo an implicit lvalue-to-rvalue conversion . All lvalues that aren't arrays, functions or of incomplete types can be converted thus to rvalues.

What about the other direction? Can rvalues be converted to lvalues? Of course not! This would violate the very nature of an lvalue according to its definition [1] .

This doesn't mean that lvalues can't be produced from rvalues by more explicit means. For example, the unary '*' (dereference) operator takes an rvalue argument but produces an lvalue as a result. Consider this valid code:

Conversely, the unary address-of operator '&' takes an lvalue argument and produces an rvalue:

The ampersand plays another role in C++ - it allows to define reference types. These are called "lvalue references". Non-const lvalue references cannot be assigned rvalues, since that would require an invalid rvalue-to-lvalue conversion:

Constant lvalue references can be assigned rvalues. Since they're constant, the value can't be modified through the reference and hence there's no problem of modifying an rvalue. This makes possible the very common C++ idiom of accepting values by constant references into functions, which avoids unnecessary copying and construction of temporary objects.

CV-qualified rvalues

If we read carefully the portion of the C++ standard discussing lvalue-to-rvalue conversions [2] , we notice it says:

An lvalue (3.10) of a non-function, non-array type T can be converted to an rvalue. [...] If T is a non-class type, the type of the rvalue is the cv-unqualified version of T. Otherwise, the type of the rvalue is T.

What is this "cv-unqualified" thing? CV-qualifier is a term used to describe const and volatile type qualifiers.

From section 3.9.3:

Each type which is a cv-unqualified complete or incomplete object type or is void (3.9) has three corresponding cv-qualified versions of its type: a const-qualified version, a volatile-qualified version, and a const-volatile-qualified version. [...] The cv-qualified or cv-unqualified versions of a type are distinct types; however, they shall have the same representation and alignment requirements (3.9)

But what has this got to do with rvalues? Well, in C, rvalues never have cv-qualified types. Only lvalues do. In C++, on the other hand, class rvalues can have cv-qualified types, but built-in types (like int ) can't. Consider this example:

The second call in main actually calls the foo () const method of A , because the type returned by cbar is const A , which is distinct from A . This is exactly what's meant by the last sentence in the quote mentioned earlier. Note also that the return value from cbar is an rvalue. So this is an example of a cv-qualified rvalue in action.

Rvalue references (C++11)

Rvalue references and the related concept of move semantics is one of the most powerful new features the C++11 standard introduces to the language. A full discussion of the feature is way beyond the scope of this humble article [3] , but I still want to provide a simple example, because I think it's a good place to demonstrate how an understanding of what lvalues and rvalues are aids our ability to reason about non-trivial language concepts.

I've just spent a good part of this article explaining that one of the main differences between lvalues and rvalues is that lvalues can be modified, and rvalues can't. Well, C++11 adds a crucial twist to this distinction, by allowing us to have references to rvalues and thus modify them, in some special circumstances.

As an example, consider a simplistic implementation of a dynamic "integer vector". I'm showing just the relevant methods here:

So, we have the usual constructor, destructor, copy constructor and copy assignment operator [4] defined, all using a logging function to let us know when they're actually called.

Let's run some simple code, which copies the contents of v1 into v2 :

What this prints is:

Makes sense - this faithfully represents what's going on inside operator= . But suppose that we want to assign some rvalue to v2 :

Although here I just assign a freshly constructed vector, it's just a demonstration of a more general case where some temporary rvalue is being built and then assigned to v2 (this can happen for some function returning a vector, for example). What gets printed now is this:

Ouch, this looks like a lot of work. In particular, it has one extra pair of constructor/destructor calls to create and then destroy the temporary object. And this is a shame, because inside the copy assignment operator, another temporary copy is being created and destroyed. That's extra work, for nothing.

Well, no more. C++11 gives us rvalue references with which we can implement "move semantics", and in particular a "move assignment operator" [5] . Let's add another operator= to Intvec :

The && syntax is the new rvalue reference . It does exactly what it sounds it does - gives us a reference to an rvalue, which is going to be destroyed after the call. We can use this fact to just "steal" the internals of the rvalue - it won't need them anyway! This prints:

What happens here is that our new move assignment operator is invoked since an rvalue gets assigned to v2 . The constructor and destructor calls are still needed for the temporary object that's created by Intvec(33) , but another temporary inside the assignment operator is no longer needed. The operator simply switches the rvalue's internal buffer with its own, arranging it so the rvalue's destructor will release our object's own buffer, which is no longer used. Neat.

I'll just mention once again that this example is only the tip of the iceberg on move semantics and rvalue references. As you can probably guess, it's a complex subject with a lot of special cases and gotchas to consider. My point here was to demonstrate a very interesting application of the difference between lvalues and rvalues in C++. The compiler obviously knows when some entity is an rvalue, and can arrange to invoke the correct constructor at compile time.

One can write a lot of C++ code without being concerned with the issue of rvalues vs. lvalues, dismissing them as weird compiler jargon in certain error messages. However, as this article aimed to show, getting a better grasp of this topic can aid in a deeper understanding of certain C++ code constructs, and make parts of the C++ spec and discussions between language experts more intelligible.

Also, in the new C++ spec this topic becomes even more important, because C++11's introduction of rvalue references and move semantics. To really grok this new feature of the language, a solid understanding of what rvalues and lvalues are becomes crucial.

For comments, please send me an email .

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Else without IF and L-Value Required Error in C

Else without if.

This error is shown if we write anything in between if and else clause. Example:  

L-value required

This error occurs when we put constants on left hand side of = operator and variables on right hand side of it. Example:  

Example 2: At line number 12, it will show an error L-value because arr++ means arr=arr+1.Now that is what there is difference in normal variable and array. If we write a=a+1 (where a is normal variable), compiler will know its job and there will be no error but when you write arr=arr+1 (where arr is name of an array) then, compiler will think arr contain address and how we can change address. Therefore it will take arr as address and left side will be constant, hence it will show error as L-value required. 

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C++ Diary #3 | Move Semantics - Rvalue Reference

The first time I learned about move semantics was when I read Scott Meyers’ book Effective Modern C++ . Although I thought I had a basic understanding, I only remembered the famous statement that std::move doesn’t actually move anything after many years.

Recently, I started using move semantics more frequently and noticed that others were also struggling to understand why and how to use it at very beginning like me. So, I decided it was time to invest more effort into educating myself and sharing my learning experience.

From std::move to Rvalue Reference

Initially, I was confused when I searched for std::move on cppreference , as it mentioned, “std::move is exactly equivalent to a static_cast to an rvalue reference type.”

Here’s a simple implementation of std::move :

There are two key takeaways:

• T&& t is a Universal Reference (or Forwarding Reference) because T is a template parameter. This can be misleading if you are unfamiliar with Universal References, as it might seem like it only accepts an rvalue reference.
• It returns an  rvalue reference  to arg.

If you’re not familiar with Universal References or rvalue references, don’t worry. Let’s start with the basics and discuss lvalues, rvalues, and their references in this post.

Lvalues and Rvalues

In C++, the concepts of lvalue and rvalue are fundamental to understanding expressions and their evaluation. Here’s a clear breakdown:

• An lvalue represents an object that occupies some identifiable location in memory. It can appear on both the left and right sides of an assignment operator. You can use the & operator to obtain the address of an lvalue .
• An rvalue represents a temporary value that does not persist beyond the expression in which it is used. It can only appear on the right side of an assignment operator. Rvalue are often temporary objects created during expression evaluation or literal constants.
• Every expression is either an lvalue or an rvalue .

Let’s take a look of an example:

Lvalue Reference

In C++, references can be defined using the & symbol. When an lvalue is also a reference, it is called an lvalue reference . Lvalue references are the most common type of reference , so when we generally talk about “object reference”, we are referring to lvalue reference . For example:

You might wonder if you can take an lvalue reference to an rvalue .

If it were possible to take an lvalue reference to an rvalue, it would create a problem: how would you modify the value of the rvalue? Since references can be updated later, and the reference to rvalue do not have a retrievable memory address, modifying an rvalue would be impossible.

However, const lvalue references are different because constants cannot be modified, eliminating the issue above:

Another example, which also explains why const lvalue reference is useful:

Rvalue Reference (since C++11)

Rvalue references and the move semantics are among the most powerful features introduced in C++11. Previously, we discussed that lvalues (non-const) can be modified (assigned to), but rvalues cannot. However, with C++11’s introduction of rvalue references, this limitation is lifted, allowing us to obtain references to rvalues and modify them.

Let’s follow the example from lvalue reference section:

Rvalue references can only bind to rvalues, which are either literal constants or temporary objects that soon to be destroyed.

It means that code accepting and using rvalue references can freely take over the resources of the referenced object without worrying about data in other parts of the code . In other words, it transfers ownership of the assets and properties of an object directly.

Rvalue references enable move semantics and perfect forwarding. We will discuss rvalue references and std::move further in the next post.

• 谈谈 C++ 中的右值引用
• C++ 11 右值引用以及std::move
• lvalues and rvalues in C++ - The Cherno
• std::move and the Move Assignment Operator in C++ - The Cherno
• Hidden Features and Traps of C++ Move Semantics
• What is move semantics?

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• lvalue required as left operand of assig

    lvalue required as left operand of assignment in C++ class

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G++ Compiling error "error: lvalue required as left operand of assignment"

I'm just learning about ncurses in C++, and I wanted to make a little test menu. In my code, I have a few if statements, but they don't seem to be working, when I try to compile, I get the error "error: lvalue required as left operand of assignment" on the following if statements:

Here's the full chain of if statements:

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lvalue required as left operand of assignment

Hi guys, I'm a total beginner at this so can you guys please help me. I'm getting this error statement and I don't know how to resolve it: lvalue required as left operand of assignment.

This is the part of the code that error is referring to:

Value2 = analogRead(A1); Serial.println(Value2);

data2 = map(Value2, 0, 1023, 0, 100);

int c; int d; data + data2 = c; c/2 = d;

Thanks for the help!

AyyBruhChill: Hi guys, I'm a total beginner at this so can you guys please help me. I'm getting this error statement and I don't know how to resolve it: lvalue required as left operand of assignment. data + data2 = c;

That is not valid code. The assignment needs to be on the left (c = data + data2)

Well ya really should read the "How to use this forum" cause it would help a LOT in this situation. However, based on your input, the problem is that you haven't defined "data". Also, you are trying to assign a value to a statement. In C lingo, c is an lvalue, and it should be on the left side.

AyyBruhChill: Hi guys, I'm a total beginner at this so can you guys please help me. I'm getting this error statement and I don't know how to resolve it: lvalue required as left operand of assignment. This is the part of the code that error is referring to: Value2 = analogRead(A1); Serial.println(Value2); data2 = map(Value2, 0, 1023, 0, 100); int c; int d; data + data2 = c; c/2 = d; Thanks for the help!

Oh, thank you very much!

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lvalue required as left operand of assignment - What causes this error and how to fix it?

Here is the piece of code. Its in C, compiler is CodeBlocks I made a function Replacethings which is supposed to replace all characters that are spaces, commas, and exclamation points with *. Seemingly an easy task, and yet so hard. The input has to be 25 characters or less.

• implicit-conversion
• function-definition

• 3 Do you know that char *StrongOfChars[25] is an array of pointers, not characters? And having passed one string, the loop must be the actual elements used by the string, not the unused elements. Take out every * (except '*' ). –  Weather Vane Commented Jul 31, 2022 at 18:36
• 1 Also you have typos where = in the three comparisons should be == . –  Weather Vane Commented Jul 31, 2022 at 18:40
• Make it a habit to raise the warning level of your compiler to the maximum and correct your code until no errors and no warnings. –  the busybee Commented Jul 31, 2022 at 19:14
• char StronKK[25]; is one-too-small to handle "input has to be 25 characters ...". –  chux - Reinstate Monica Commented Jul 31, 2022 at 21:28

2 Answers 2

*StrongOfChars[i]=' ' means you assign the value ' ' to the first character of the i'th char pointer:

You want to use == instead. The first expression of the body of the if statement is:

which probably should be part of your if expression instead, i.e.:

or you can use strchr(" ,!*", *StrongOfChars[i]) instead of those 4 conditions.

The code is poorly formatted, so you cannot see that the } before the 2nd print statement is in the wrong place so the print statement is not in a function. Maybe remove it or you forgot a main() function?

As you declared the array StronKK like

then the expression &StronKK has the type char ( * )[25] .

So you have to write in the call of scanf

On the other hand, the function parameter has the type char *StrongOfChars[25]

that is adjusted by the compiler to the type char **

The types char ( * )[25] and char ** are not compatible types and the compiler should issue a diagnostic message.

You need to declare the function like

and call it like

Pay attention to that the user can enter a string with the length less than 25 . So using the magic number 25 within the function is a bad idea and can result in undefined behavior.

Also instead of the equality operator == you are using the assignment operator = within the for loop of the function.

The function can be defined the following way

It would be also reasonable to check whether a character is a tab character. That is the if statement can look

Or you can write it lime

To use the function strchr you need to include header <string.h> .

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