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: 
When you declare the argument as being an int&, you are saying that the function called can change the value ***and the caller will see the change***.

So it is no longer valid to pass a literal value then because how could the function possibly change the given value of a literal?

If you don't want the `setValue` to be able to change the given value, make the argument either be an `int` or `const int&`. And if you ***do*** want the `setValue` function to be able to change the value, then the caller must declare a non-const ***variable*** to hold the int and pass in that.
**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`.