@WhozCraig - I don't know of any "generally-accepted industry guideline". When I was a junior, I was told in a code review: "C++ references should be used
only for operator overloading" (i.e.: returning an object reference to support assignment). I personally have no issue with using references for a "var parameter" (although pointers are my preference too), but not
mixing references and pointers. Maybe I've turned into a coding curmudgeon over the years. Seems nowdays if you use
**
in C/C++ you obviously hate the entire world, motherhood and kittens too. Seems so on SO at least. —
Kingsley 56 secs ago