Trouble understanding passing by pointer

[fathom wedge]

So I have this

#include <iostream> 
using namespace std;

void swap(int *x, int *y) {
    int temp = *x;
    *x = *y; 
    *y = temp; 
}

int main() {
    int a = 4;
    int b = 3;
    swap(a, b);
    cout << a << endl << b;
}

What I don't understand is why this works, in all the examples of this I see online they use references ie &a and &b, which makes sense but this somehow works too, why?

[pliant rampart]

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[torn ember]

hi, i) this is C++ not C, ii) this won't work, you need to pass &a and &b instead of themselves

[fathom wedge]

but it does work

[torn ember]

but it can be answered the same way for C or C++: this uses pointers

no that won't work

[torn ember]

;compile c++

[tight cargo]

Program Output

3
4

nahita3882 | 50ms | c++ | x86-64 gcc 13.2 | godbolt.org

[torn ember]

oh my

i see

you are calling the Standard library's swap, not yours

because of using namespace std;

there is std::swap as well

[fathom wedge]

ur right

lol

[torn ember]

and your custom swaps parameters are pointers, you got integers, so yours won't be called due to mismatch

[fathom wedge]

i did get an error, thankfully