How do c++ functions return this -

i saw example in answer here on stackoverflow regarding returning in c++ function return “this” in c++?, question how handle returns of handled in c++. best answer said

class myclass {   public:   // return pointer needs const , non-const versions      myclass* returnpointertocurrentobject() { return this; }      const myclass* returnpointertocurrentobject() const { return this; }    // return reference needs const , non-const versions      myclass& returnreferencetocurrentobject() { return *this; }      const myclass& returnreferencetocurrentobject() const { return *this; }    // return value needs 1 version.      myclass returncopyofcurrentobject() const { return *this; } }; 

now dont understand how

myclass& returnreferencetocurrentobject() { return *this; } 

cannot same as

myclass returncopyofcurrentobject() const { return *this; } 

as see first example returns reference , second returns dereferenced pointer (value)? how can these 2 functions have same function body?

as see first example returns reference , second returns dereferenced pointer (value)?

exactly. first returns reference object it's called on; second returns copy of object.

how can these 2 functions have same function body?

because conversion return expression *this return value implicit. in first case, it's converted reference; in second, it's converted value copying it.