Pointers CS362

Pointers A Pointer is a variable that can hold a memory address Pointers can be used to: Indirectly reference existing variables (sometimes simplifies code syntax) Reference dynamically allocated memory Read and write to binary files Create complex data structures (such as linked lists)

Pointers Pointers holds an address instead of a data value Used to access memory location where data resides We say that the pointer “points to” data Accessing memory via a pointer is called “indirect access” We’ve used pointers for some time (reference parameters)

Pointers To declare pointer variables use the “*” character It is used to both: Declare a pointer variable Access the values that the pointer variable points to In the end, a pointer (or pointer variable) points to (holds the address of) a variable of a specific data type. We will use the asterisk to define what type of data the pointer points to.

Pointers datatype* variableName; Asterisk indicates that the variable being declared is of type pointer-to-something It is read as “points to datatype” Asterisk can be at the end of datatype (as shown above), or at beginning of variable name: datatype *variableName; Either works, but be consistent.

Pointers Example: float* fptr; Declares a pointer called fptr that can hold the address where a float value exists in memory The pointer can only “point to” a float value (can’t point to any other data type)

Pointers Declared constants/variable have a unique starting address Address indicates the beginning of the memory area Addresses are assigned upon allocation The address operator “&” when followed by a variable name provides the address of a variable pointerVariableName = &dataVariableName;

Pointers Example: float num1, num2; float* fltPtr; num1 = 3.5; fltptr = &num1; fltptr points to the memory location assigned to num1. Pointers will always point to a specific type of memory (based upon the pointer type). Type of data stored must match the pointer data type.

Pointers You access the data value pointed to by a pointer using the de-referencing operator “*” (which is also the indirection operator) The asterisk followed by the pointer variable name access the value stored at the pointed-to address *ptrVariableName This reads “the value that prtVariableName points to”

Pointers Example: num2 = *fltPtr; (num 2 is assigned the value that fltPtr points to) num2 now has the value 3.5 stored at its memory location *fltPtr = 4.6; (where fltPtr points to (num1) is assigned the value 4.6) num1 now has the value 4.6 stored at its memory location

Pointers Pointers can be initialized when declared like any other variable: int sum; int *sPtr = ∑ Creates pointer sPtr and points it to the variable “sum” *sPtr = 5; Assign the value 5 to “where sPtr points to” (“sum”)

Pointers It is always a good idea to initialize pointers when declared If a pointer does not point to a valid location, it can be initialized with the null pointer value NULL means “points to nothing” float *myPtr = NULL; To use NULL the library must be included NOTE: Pointer variables can only store one of two values; an address or the value NULL

Pointers Same type pointers may be assigned each other values int main() { float num = 5.5; float *ftPtr1 = NULL; float *ftPtr2 = &num; *ftPtr2 = 4.4; ftPtr1 = ftPtr2; cout << fixed << showpoint << setprecision(1); cout << “Value is “ << *ftPtr1 << endl; return 0; }

Pointers Common Mistake 1: valid int *ptr1, *ptr2 (declares two pointers that point to integers) invalid int* ptr1, ptr2 (declares a pointer, and an integer variable) Common Mistake 2: given : int num; int *ptr; valid ptr = &num; invalid *ptr = &num; (ptr points to an integer location which cannot store the address of num) ptr = num;(ptr can only store an address or num, cannot accept an integer)

Pointers Pointers can point to any valid data type (including complex data types) For example pointer to an array: When using pointers with arrays the pointer will point to only one value within the array The array name is actually a “constant pointer” to the first value in the array (e.g. a pointer to the subscript 0 element in the array) Given: const int MAX = 50; int grades[MAX]; int* gradesPtr; gradePtr = grades; (gradePtr now points to the first element in the array) gradePtr = &grades[5]; (gradePtr now points to the 6 th element)

Pointers Warning: When using pointers to arrays it is the programmer’s responsibility to ensure that you do not attempt to point past the end of the array (similar to boundary test) Most C++ compilers will NOT identify an error in the code if you attempt to access past the end of the array, but the program will either crash or obtain strange or garbage values with the program runs

Pointers Some math and relational operators can be used with pointers For example, you can add units to a pointer A unit is one storage unit (e.g. size of int, float, char) Increments the address by size of data type This can be used to access arrays rather than using the normal array syntax

Pointers Array Syntax vs Pointer Syntax const int MAX = 10; int numbers[MAX]; int* arrayPtr = numbers; (arrayPtr points to top of array) accessing a cell using array syntax numbers[n] where “n” is a valid index value accessing a cell using pointer syntax *arrayPtr *(arrayPtr + n) where “n” does not exceed the array size

Pointers Array Syntax vs Pointer Syntax You can use either array or pointer syntax to initialize a pointer arrayPtr = &number[n] or arrayPtr = number + n; You can use either array or pointer syntax to access an array value arrayPtr[n] = nn; or *(arrayPtr + n) = nn; The following are equivalent: int arrayName[MAX]; int* arrayPtr = arrayName; arrayName == &arrayName[0] arrayName == arrayPtr arrayName + index == &arrayName[index] *(arrayPtr + index) == arrayName[index]

Pointers You may also use pointers to access records (struct) data To access the members of a structure use the de-referencing operator (asterisk) then select the member using the dot (.) operator Note: The de-referencing operation must be inside parenthesis due to low precedence of the de-referencing operator (the dot operator has a higher precedence)

Pointers Example: struct part { int partNum; string description; float price; bool inStock; }; part onePart; part* partPtr = &onePart; (*partPtr).price = 6.77; (result is assigned the value 6.77)

Pointers Using the parentheses, asterisk, and dot can be awkward Since using pointers and records are so common another operator was created to simplify access The member access operator was created: composed of the dash and greater-than operator (->) (no space) partPtr->price = 6.77;

Pointers The advantages of using a pointer become more obvious with an array of records const int MAX = 100; part inventory[MAX]; int num; part* partPtr = inventory; for (num = 0; num < MAX; num++) // This initializes all inStock members of all records { // in the inventory array to false; partPtr->inStock = false; // Note that the line partPtr++; moves the pointer partPtr++; // to the next record in the array (for each looping } // of the loop)