C++ Pointers

 

Pointers

A pointer is a data type that holds the address of another data type. A pointer itself is a variable that points to any other variable. It can be of type int, char, array, function, or even any other pointer. Pointers in C++ are defined using the ‘*’ (asterisk) operator.

 

The ‘&’(ampersand) operator is called the ‘address of’ operator, and the ‘*’(asterisk) operator is called the ‘value at’ dereference operator. 

 

Applications of a Pointer

  • Pointers are used to dynamically allocate or deallocate memory.

  • Pointers are used to point to several containers such as arrays, or structs, and also for passing addresses of containers to functions.

  • Return multiple values from a function

  • Rather than passing a copy of a container to a function, we can simply pass its pointer. This helps reduce the memory usage of the program.

  • Pointer reduces the code and improves the performance.