Remove node in linked list with function taking reference to pointer to a node?

Question

Consider an implemented struct Node:

template <class T>
struct Node {
    Node<T> * next;
    T data;
    // Other functions for adding nodes etc...
};

Then a function remove(...) is given, which takes the parameters 1) reference to pointer to node p and 2) the data d to be removed:

template <class T>
void remove(Node<T> *& p, T d) {
    if (p != nullptr) {
        if (p->data == d) {
            Node<T> * temp = p;
            p = p->next;
            delete temp;
            remove(p, d);
        }
        else {
            remove(p->next, d);
        };
    };
};

Questions

I don't quite understand how this will work. Since temp points to p, won't the assigned p=p->next be removed anyhow in delete temp, making this function fail? Is there something I'm missing? Perhaps something to do with that the pointer p is passed as a reference?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Since temp points to p, won't the assigned p=p->next be removed anyhow in delete temp, making this function fail?

temp doesn't point to p but to what p points. Note that the pointers are vars having addressees as values and when a pointer on the rhs it returns its value.

And the assignment p = p -> next makes the value of p be the address of the of the node after p (i.e) the address returned by p -> next