Weird thing while trying to avoid pointers in C++

[wysota]

I am not sure even why this code compiles, since you are trying to assign c to t but you didn't define an '=' operator for your Node class.

Node t = n.GetChild(n.GetCount() - 1); //I don't know why this compiles, it should not

Node t = n.GetChild(n.GetCount() - 1); //I don't know why this compiles, it should not

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This is equivalent to:

Node t(n.GetChild(n.GetCount()-1));

Node t(n.GetChild(n.GetCount()-1));

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The copy constructor kicks in here. Besides if you don't declare your own default constructor, copy constructor or assignment operator, the compiler will provide them for you.

Well it does take reference.

void push_back ( const T& x );

void push_back ( const T& x );

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No, it takes a const reference. That's two totally different things.