Trailing Return Types and auto

Trailing return types and auto are closely related when defining functions. When you use a trailing return type, you must use auto in place of the actual return type before the function name. For example:

1auto Add(int x, int y) -> int {
2  return x + y;
3}

Here, auto essentially acts as a placeholder, indicating that the actual return type will be specified after the parameter list using the -> syntax.

This is different from using auto without a trailing return type:

1auto Subtract(int x, int y) {
2  return x - y;
3}

In this case, auto tells the compiler to deduce the return type from the return statement. The function will return an int, but that type isn't explicitly specified in the function signature.

So in summary:

• auto with a trailing return type: the auto is a placeholder and the actual type is specified after the ->
• auto without a trailing return type: auto tells the compiler to deduce the return type