Question: I am calling a function with the signature

```
void setValue(int& data)

```

I would like to pass a literal number to it:

```
setValue(1);

```

But I get:

```
error: invalid initialization of non-const reference of type 'int&' from an rvalue of type 'int'

```

Is there a way I can make this work without changing the function (it's in a library) and without assigning each literal value to a variable?

Answer: 
Assuming `setValue` does not actually modify its argument and just has a wrong signature which you cannot change, here is an approach which is not thread-safe among other things:

```
#include <iostream>

void setValue(int &i)
{
  std::cout << "i = " << i << std::endl;
}

int& evil(int i)
{
  static int j;
  j = i;
  return j;
}

int main()
{
  setValue(evil(1));
  setValue(evil(2));
}

```
**No, you can't.**

An lvalue reference like that binds to a variable (roughly speaking).

Your literal is not such a thing. It never had a name, and may not even have a home in memory.

Your two options are the two things you ruled out, I'm afraid.

---

For what it's worth, this is not your fault: that is a rather poor setter. It should take `const int&` (which will automatically *create* a nice temporary variable for you out of the literal!), or even just `const int`.