trouble with std::vector

[vysero]

I have a variable declared as such:

  std::vector<DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*>  m_devices;

When I try to return the variable:

  DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm* DynamicSdmSlaveProvider::master()
  {
    // Should always have a master
    assert(m_devices.size() > 0);

    return m_devices;
  }

I am getting an error:

../../../src1/Hardware/DynamicSdmSlaveProvider.cpp:143: 
error: cannot convert 'std::vector<DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*, std::allocator<DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*> >' to 'DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*' in return

I am able to return individual elements of the vector for instance:

  DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm* DynamicSdmSlaveProvider::master()
  {
    // Should always have a master
    assert(m_devices.size() > 0);

    return m_devices[0];
  }

However, I need to pass the whole vector. How might I go about doing that?

[Repeater]

Look at the function declaration:
DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm* DynamicSdmSlaveProvider::master()

What does it say it returns?
DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*

What do you want it to return?
std::vector<DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*>

So what should it say it returns?
std::vector<DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*>

So what should the function declaration be?
std::vector<DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*> DynamicSdmSlaveProvider::master()

[Ganado]

If you want a reference to the vector,

  std::vector<DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*>& DynamicSdmSlaveProvider::master()
  {
    // Should always have a master
    assert(m_devices.size() > 0);

    return m_devices;
  }

If you want to make a copy of the vector,

  std::vector<DynamicSdmProtocol::DynamicSdm*> DynamicSdmSlaveProvider::master()
  {
    // Should always have a master
    assert(m_devices.size() > 0);

    return m_devices;
  }

Normally, copies of vectors are normally avoided so I would go with the reference. Depends on the design of your program.