C++ Pointers
The pointer in C++ language is a variable, it is also known as locator or indicator that points to an address of a value.
Advantage of pointer
1) Pointer reduces the code and improves the performance, it is used to retrieving strings, trees etc. and used with arrays, structures and functions.
2) We can return multiple values from function using pointer.
3) It makes you able to access any memory location in the computer’s memory.
Usage of pointer
There are many usage of pointers in C++ language.
1) Dynamic memory allocation
In c language, we can dynamically allocate memory using malloc() and calloc() functions where pointer is used.
2) Arrays, Functions and Structures
Pointers in c language are widely used in arrays, functions and structures. It reduces the code and improves the performance.
Symbols used in pointer
| Symbol | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| & (ampersand sign) | Address operator | Determine the address of a variable. |
| ∗ (asterisk sign) | Indirection operator | Access the value of an address. |
Declaring a pointer
The pointer in C++ language can be declared using ∗ (asterisk symbol).
Pointer Example
Let’s see the simple example of using pointers printing the address and value.
Output:
Address of number variable is:0x7ffccc8724c4 Address of p variable is:0x7ffccc8724c4 Value of p variable is:30
Pointer Program to swap 2 numbers without using 3rd variable
Output:
Before swap: ∗p1=20 ∗p2=10 After swap: ∗p1=10 ∗p2=20