What are the differences between C++ references and pointers?

References and pointers in C++ are both used to represent the address of an object, but there are a few key differences between them:

1. Definition and usage: Pointers are declared and accessed using * and references are declared and accessed using &.
2. Null value: Pointers can be null, meaning they can point to an empty address or null, while references must be initialized at declaration and cannot be null.
3. Reassignment: Pointers can be reassigned to point to other objects, while references cannot change the object they reference once initialized.
4. Initialization: pointers don’t need to be initialized, while references must be initialized when declared and must refer to an existing object.
5. Memory management refers to the manual allocation and deallocation of memory for pointers, while references do not require memory management as they are simply aliases for existing objects.
6. Operator overloading allows pointers to perform various operations such as pointer arithmetic and accessing array elements, while references do not support these operations.

In conclusion, pointers are more flexible but require manual memory management, while references are simpler and safer but may not be as flexible in certain situations. The choice between using pointers or references depends on specific requirements and use cases.