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What are pointers in C++, and how do they differ from references?

Steilla Mitchel10104-Aug-2023

What are pointers in C++, and how do they differ from references?

visual c++c++ pointer 
Updated on 06-Aug-2023
Steilla Mitchel

Steilla Mitchel

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Aryan Kumar

Aryan Kumar

06-Aug-2023

Pointers and references are both variables that can store the address of another variable. However, they differ in how they are used and what they can do.

  • Pointers are variables that store the address of another variable. Pointers can be used to access the value of the variable that they point to, and they can also be used to change the value of the variable that they point to.
  • References are variables that are aliases for another variable. References cannot be used to change the value of the variable that they refer to.

Here is an example of how pointers and references can be used:

C++

int x = 10;

// Pointer
int* p = &x;

// Reference
int& r = x;

cout << *p << endl; // Prints 10
cout << r << endl; // Prints 10

*p = 20; // Changes the value of x to 20
r = 30; // Error: Cannot change the value of x through a reference

In this example, p is a pointer to the variable x. r is a reference to the variable x. The value of x is printed twice, once using *p and once using r. The value of x is then changed to 20 using *p. However, an error is thrown when r is used to try to change the value of x.

Pointers are more flexible than references, but they are also more dangerous. It is important to be careful when using pointers, as it is easy to make mistakes that can lead to memory leaks or other problems.

Here are some additional points about pointers and references in C++:

  • Pointers can be null, which means that they do not point to any valid variable.
  • References cannot be null.
  • Pointers can be used to access the memory that is allocated for a variable, even if the variable has been deleted. This can lead to memory leaks.
  • References cannot be used to access the memory that is allocated for a variable, once the variable has been deleted.

Overall, pointers are a powerful tool that can be used to access and manipulate data in C++. However, they are also dangerous and should be used with care.

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