C++ Programming Language
Table of content:
- A Brief Intro To C++
- The Timeline Of C++
- Importance Of C++
- Versions Of C++ Language
- Comparison With Other Popular Programming Languages
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Are Variables In C++?
- Declaration & Definition Of Variables In C++
- Variable Initialization In C++
- Rules & Regulations For Naming Variables In C++ Language
- Different Types Of Variables In C++
- Different Types of Variable Initialization In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Are Primitive Data Types In C++?
- Derived Data Types In C++
- User-Defined Data Types In C++
- Abstract Data Types In C++
- Data Type Modifiers In C++
- Declaring Variables With Auto Keyword
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- Structure Of C++ Program: Components
- Compilation & Execution Of C++ Programs | Step-by-Step Explanation
- Structure Of C++ Program With Example
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What is Typedef in C++?
- The Role & Applications of Typedef in C++
- Basic Syntax for typedef in C++
- How Does typedef Work in C++?
- How to Use Typedef in C++ With Examples? (Multiple Data Types)
- The Difference Between #define & Typedef in C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Are Strings In C++?
- Types Of Strings In C++
- How To Declare & Initialize C-Style Strings In C++ Programs?
- How To Declare & Initialize Strings In C++ Using String Keyword?
- List Of String Functions In C++
- Operations On Strings Using String Functions In C++
- Concatenation Of Strings In C++
- How To Convert Int To Strings In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is String Concatenation In C++?
- How To Concatenate Two Strings In C++ Using The ‘+' Operator?
- String Concatenation Using The strcat( ) Function
- Concatenation Of Two Strings In C++ Using Loops
- String Concatenation Using The append() Function
- C++ String Concatenation Using The Inheritance Of Class
- Concatenate Two Strings In C++ With The Friend and strcat() Functions
- Why Do We Need To Concatenate Two Strings?
- How To Reverse Concatenation Of Strings In C++?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is Find In String C++?
- What Is A Substring?
- How To Find A Substring In A String In C++?
- How To Find A Character In String C++?
- Find All Substrings From A Given String In C++
- Index Substring In String In C++ From A Specific Start To A Specific Length
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Are Pointers In C++?
- Pointer Declaration In C++
- How To Initialize And Use Pointers In C++?
- Different Types Of Pointers In C++
- References & Pointers In C++
- Arrays And Pointers In C++
- String Literals & Pointers In C++
- Pointers To Pointers In C++ (Double Pointers)
- Arithmetic Operation On Pointers In C++
- Advantages Of Pointers In C++
- Some Common Mistakes To Avoid With Pointers In Cpp
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- Understanding Pointers In C++
- What Is Pointer To Object In C++?
- Declaration And Use Of Object Pointers In C++
- Advantages Of Pointer To Object In C++
- Pointer To Objects In C++ With Arrow Operator
- An Array Of Objects Using Pointers In C++
- Base Class Pointer For Derived Class Object In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is 'This' Pointer In C++?
- Defining ‘this’ Pointer In C++
- Example Of 'this' Pointer In C++
- Describing The Constness Of 'this' Pointer In C++
- Important Uses Of 'this' Pointer In C++
- Method Chaining Using 'this' Pointer In C++
- C++ Programs To Show Application Of 'This' Pointer
- How To Delete The ‘this’ Pointer In C++?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What is Reference?
- What is Pointer?
- Comparison Table Of C++ Pointer Vs. Reference
- Differences Between Reference And Pointer: A Detailed Explanation
- Why Are References Less Powerful Than Pointers?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- How To Declare A 2D Array In C++?
- C++ Multi-Dimensional Arrays
- Ways To Initialize A 2D Array In C++
- Methods To Dynamically Allocate A 2D Array In C++
- Accessing/ Referencing Two-Dimensional Array Elements
- How To Initialize A Two-Dimensional Integer Array In C++?
- How To Initialize A Two-Dimensional Character Array?
- How To Enter Data In Two-Dimensional Array In C++?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Are Arrays Of Strings In C++?
- Different Ways To Create String Arrays In C++
- How To Access The Elements Of A String Array In C++?
- How To Convert Char Array To String?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What is Memory Allocation in C++?
- The “new" Operator In C++
- The "delete" Operator In C++
- Dynamic Memory Allocation In C++ | Arrays
- Dynamic Memory Allocation In C++ | Objects
- Deallocation Of Dynamic Memory
- Dynamic Memory Allocation In C++ | Uses
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is A Substring In C++ (Substr C++)?
- Example For Substr In C++
- Points To Remember For Substr In C++
- Important Applications Of substr() Function
- How to Get a Substring Before a Character?
- Print All Substrings Of A Given String
- Print Sum Of All Substrings Of A String Representing A Number
- Print Minimum Value Of All Substrings Of A String Representing A Number
- Print Maximum Value Of All Substrings Of A String Representing A Number
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is Operator In C++?
- Types Of Operators In C++ With Examples
- What Are Arithmetic Operators In C++?
- What Are Assignment Operators In C++?
- What Are Relational Operators In C++?
- What Are Logical Operators In C++?
- What Are Bitwise Operators In C++?
- What Is Ternary/ Conditional Operator In C++?
- Miscellaneous Operators In C++
- Precedence & Associativity Of Operators In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is The New Operator In C++?
- Example To Understand New Operator In C++
- The Grammar Elements Of The New Operator In C++
- Storage Space Allocation
- How Does The C++ New Operator Works?
- What Happens When Enough Memory In The Program Is Not Available?
- Initializing Objects Allocated With New Operator In C++
- Lifetime Of Objects Allocated With The New Operator In C++
- What Is The Delete Operator In C++?
- Difference Between New And Delete Operator In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- Types Of Overloading In C++
- What Is Operator Overloading In C++?
- How To Overload An Operator In C++?
- Overloadable & Non-overloadable Operators In C++
- Unary Operator Overloading In C++
- Binary Operator Overloading In C++
- Special Operator Overloading In C++
- Rules For Operator Overloading In C++
- Advantages And Disadvantages Of Operator Overloading In C++
- Function Overloading In C++
- What Is the Difference Between Operator Functions and Normal Functions?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Are Operators In C++?
- Introduction To Logical Operators In C++
- Types Of Logical Operators In C++ With Example Program
- Logical AND (&&) Operator In C++
- Logical NOT(!) Operator In C++
- Logical Operator Precedence And Associativity In C++
- Relation Between Conditional Statements And Logical Operators In C++
- C++ Relational Operators
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Important Interview Questions:
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- Different Type Of C++ Bitwise Operators
- C++ Bitwise AND Operator
- C++ Bitwise OR Operator
- C++ Bitwise XOR Operator
- Bitwise Left Shift Operator In C++
- Bitwise Right Shift Operator In C++
- Bitwise NOT Operator
- What Is The Meaning Of Set Bit In C++?
- What Does Clear Bit Mean?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- Types of Comments in C++
- Single Line Comment In C++
- Multi-Line Comment In C++
- How Do Compilers Process Comments In C++?
- C- Style Comments In C++
- How To Use Comment In C++ For Debugging Purposes?
- When To Use Comments While Writing Codes?
- Why Do We Use Comments In Codes?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Are Storage Classes In Cpp?
- What Is The Scope Of Variables?
- What Are Lifetime And Visibility Of Variables In C++?
- Types of Storage Classes in C++
- Automatic Storage Class In C++
- Register Storage Class In C++
- Static Storage Class In C++
- External Storage Class In C++
- Mutable Storage Class In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- Decision Making Statements In C++
- Types Of Conditional Statements In C++
- If-Else Statement In C++
- If-Else-If Ladder Statement In C++
- Nested If Statements In C++
- Alternatives To Conditional If-Else In C++
- Switch Case Statement In C++
- Jump Statements & If-Else In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is A Switch Statement/ Switch Case In C++?
- Rules Of Switch Case In C++
- How Does Switch Case In C++ Work?
- The break Keyword In Switch Case C++
- The default Keyword In C++ Switch Case
- Switch Case Without Break And Default
- Advantages & Disadvantages of C++ Switch Case
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is A For Loop In C++?
- Syntax Of For Loop In C++
- How Does A For Loop In C++ Work?
- Examples Of For Loop Program In C++
- Ranged Based For Loop In C++
- Nested For Loop In C++
- Infinite For Loop In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is A While Loop In C++?
- Parts Of The While Loop In C++
- C++ While Loop Program Example
- How Does A While Loop In C++ Work?
- What Is Pre-checking Process Or Entry-controlled Loop?
- When Are While Loops In C++ Useful?
- Example C++ While Loop Program
- What Are Nested While Loops In C++?
- Infinite While Loop In C++
- Alternatives To While Loop In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Are Loops & Its Types In C++?
- What Is A Do-While Loop In C++?
- Do-While Loop Example In C++ To Print Numbers
- How Does A Do-While Loop In C++ Work?
- Various Components Of The Do-While Loop In C++
- Example 2: Adding User-Input Positive Numbers With Do-While Loop
- C++ Nested Do-While Loop
- C++ Infinitive Do-while Loop
- What is the Difference Between While Loop and Do While Loop in C++?
- When To Use A Do-While Loop?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Are 2D Vectors In C++?
- How To Declare 2D Vector In C++?
- How To Initialize 2D Vector In C++?
- C++ Program Examples For 2D Vectors
- How To Access & Modify 2D Vector Elements In C++?
- Methods To Traverse, Manipulate & Print 2D Vectors In C++
- Adding Elements To 2-D Vector Using push_back() Function
- Removing Elements From Vector In C++ Using pop_back() Function
- Creating 2D Vector In C++ With User Input For Size Of Column & Row
- Advantages of 2D Vectors Over Traditional Arrays
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- How To Print A Vector In C++ By Overloading Left Shift (<<) Operator?
- How To Print Vector In C++ Using Range-Based For-Loop?
- Print Vector In C++ With Comma Separator
- Printing Vector In C++ Using Indices (Square Brackets/ Double Brackets & at() Function)
- How To Print A Vector In C++ Using std::copy?
- How To Print A Vector In C++ Using for_each() Function?
- Printing C++ Vector Using The Lambda Function
- How To Print Vector In C++ Using Iterators?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- Definition Of C++ Find In Vector
- Using The std::find() Function
- How Does find() In Vector C++ Function Work?
- Finding An Element By Custom Comparator Using std::find_if() Function
- Use std::find_if() With std::distance()
- Element Find In Vector C++ Using For Loop
- Using The find_if_not Function
- Find Elements With The Linear Search Approach
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Sort() Function In C++?
- Sort() Function In C++ From Standard Template Library
- Exceptions Of Sort() Function/ Algorithm In C++
- The Stable Sort() Function In C++
- Partial Sort() Function In C++
- Sorting In Ascending Order With Sort() Function In C++
- Sorting In Descending Order With Sort Function In C++
- Sorting In Desired Order With Custom Comparator Function & Sort Function In C++
- Sorting Elements In Desired Order Using Lambda Expression & Sort Function In C++
- Types of Sorting Algorithms In C++
- Advanced Sorting Algorithms In C++
- How Does the Sort() Function Algorithm Work In C++?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Function Overloading In C++?
- Ways Of Function Overloading In C++
- Function Overloading In C++ Using Different Types Of Parameters
- Function Overloading In C++ With Different Number Of Parameters
- Function Overloading In C++ Using Different Sequence Of Parameters
- How Does Function Overloading In C++ Work?
- Rules Of Function Overloading In C++
- Why Is Function Overloading Used?
- Types Of Function Overloading Based On Time Of Resolution
- Causes Of Function Overloading In C++
- Ambiguity & Function Overloading In C++
- Advantages Of Function Overloading In C++
- Disadvantages Of Function Overloading In C++
- Operator Overloading In C++
- Function Overriding In C++
- Difference Between Function Overriding & Function Overloading In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is An Inline Function In C++?
- How To Define The Inline Function In C++?
- How Does Inline Function In C++ Work?
- The Need For An Inline Function In C++
- Can The Compiler Ignore/ Reject Inline Function In C++ Programs?
- Normal Function Vs. Inline Function In C++
- Classes & Inline Function In C++
- Understanding Inline, __inline, And __forceinline Functions In C++
- When To Use An Inline Function In C++?
- Advantages Of Inline Function In C++
- Disadvantages Of Inline Function In C++
- Why Not Use Macros Instead Of An Inline Function In C++?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is Static Data Member In C++?
- How To Declare Static Data Members In C++?
- How To Initialize/ Define Static Data Member In C++?
- Ways To Access A Static Data Member In C++
- What Are Static Member Functions In C++?
- Example Of Member Function & Static Data Member In C++
- Practical Applications Of Static Data Member In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is A Constant In C++?
- Ways To Define Constant In C++
- What Are Literals In C++?
- Pointer To A Constant In C++
- Constant Function Arguments In C++
- Constant Member Function Of Class In C++
- Constant Data Members In C++
- Object Constant In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
Table of content:
- What Is Friend Function In C++?
- Declaration Of Friend Function In C++ With Example
- Characteristics Of Friend Function In C++
- Global Friend Function In C++ (Global Function As Friend Function )
- Member Function Of Another Class As Friend Function In C++
- Function Overloading Using Friend Function In C++
- Advantages & Disadvantages Of Friend Function in C++
- What Is A C++ Friend Class?
- A Function Friendly To Multiple Classes
- C++ Friend Class Vs. Friend Function In C++
- Some Important Points About Friend Functions And Classes In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Function Overriding In C++?
- The Working Mechanism Of Function Overriding In C++
- Real-Life Example Of Function Overriding In C++
- Accessing Overriding Function In C++
- Accessing Overridden Function In C++
- Function Call Binding With Class Objects | Function Overriding In C++
- Function Call Binding With Base Class Pointers | Function Overriding In C++
- Advantages Of Function Overriding In C++
- Variations In Function Overriding In C++
- Function Overloading In C++
- Function Overloading Vs Function Overriding In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- Errors In C++
- What Is Exception Handling In C++?
- Exception Handling In C++ Program Example
- C++ Exception Handling: Basic Keywords
- The Need For C++ Exception Handling
- C++ Standard Exceptions
- C++ Exception Classes
- User-Defined Exceptions In C++
- Advantages & Disadvantages Of C++ Exception Handling
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Are Templates In C++ & How Do They Work?
- Types Of Templates In C++
- What Are Function Templates In C++?
- C++ Template Functions With Multiple Parameters
- C++ Template Function Overloading
- What Are Class Templates In C++?
- Defining A Class Member Outside C++ Template Class
- C++ Template Class With Multiple Parameters
- What Is C++ Template Specialization?
- How To Specify Default Arguments For Templates In C++?
- Advantages Of C++ Templates
- Disadvantages Of C++ Templates
- Difference Between Function Overloading And Templates In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- Structure
- Structure Declaration
- Initialization of Structure
- Copying and Comparing Structures
- Array of Structures
- Nested Structures
- Pointer to a Structure
- Structure as Function Argument
- Self Referential Structures
- Class
- Object Declaration
- Accessing Class Members
- Similarities between Structure and Class
- Which One Should You Choose?
- Key Difference Between a Structure and Class
- Summing Up
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is A Class And Object In C++?
- What Is An Object In C++?
- How To Create A Class & Object In C++? With Example
- Access Modifiers & Class/ Object In C++
- Member Functions Of A Class In C++
- How To Access Data Members And Member Functions?
- Significance Of Class & Object In C++
- What Are Constructors In C++ & Its Types?
- What Is A Destructor Of Class In C++?
- An Array Of Objects In C++
- Object In C++ As Function Arguments
- The this (->) Pointer & Classes In C++
- The Need For Semicolons At The End Of A Class In C++
- Difference Between Structure & Class In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Are Static Members In C++?
- Static Member Functions in C++
- Ways To Call Static Member Function In C++
- Properties Of Static Member Function In C++
- Need Of Static Member Functions In C++
- Regular Member Function Vs. Static Member Function In C++
- Limitations Of Static Member Functions In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Constructor In C++?
- Characteristics Of A Constructor In C++
- Types Of Constructors In C++
- Default Constructor In C++
- Parameterized Constructor In C++
- Copy Constructor In C++
- Dynamic Constructor In C++
- Benefits Of Using Constructor In C++
- How Does Constructor In C++ Differ From Normal Member Function?
- Constructor Overloading In C++
- Constructor For Array Of Objects In C++
- Constructor In C++ With Default Arguments
- Initializer List For Constructor In C++
- Dynamic Initialization Using Constructor In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is A Constructor In C++?
- What Is Constructor Overloading In C++?
- Dеclaration Of Constructor Ovеrloading In C++
- Condition For Constructor Overloading In C++
- How Constructor Ovеrloading In C++ Works?
- Examples Of Constructor Overloading In C++
- Lеgal & Illеgal Constructor Ovеrloading In C++
- Types Of Constructors In C++
- Characteristics Of Constructors In C++
- Advantage Of Constructor Overloading In C++
- Disadvantage Of Constructor Overloading In C++
- Conclusion
- Frеquеntly Askеd Quеstions
Table of content:
- What Is A Destructor In C++?
- Rules For Defining A Destructor In C++
- When Is A Destructor in C++ Called?
- Order Of Destruction In C++
- Default Destructor & User-Defined Destructor In C++
- Virtual Destructor In C++
- Pure Virtual Destructor In C++
- Key Properties Of Destructor In C++ You Must Know
- Explicit Destructor Calls In C++
- Destructor Overloading In C++
- Difference Between Normal Member Function & Destructor In C++
- Important Uses Of Destructor In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is A Constructor In C++?
- What Is A Destructor In C++?
- Difference Between Constructor And Destructor In C++
- Constructor In C++ | A Brief Explanation
- Destructor In C++ | A Brief Explanation
- Difference Between Constructor And Destructor In C++ Explained
- Order Of Calling Constructor And Destructor In C++ Classes
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Table of content:
- What Is Type Conversion In C++?
- What Is Type Casting In C++?
- Types Of Type Conversion In C++
- Implicit Type Conversion (Coercion) In C++
- Explicit Type Conversion (Casting) In C++
- Advantages Of Type Conversion In C++
- Disadvantages Of Type Conversion In C++
- Difference Between Type Casting & Type Conversion In C++
- Application Of Type Casting In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is A Copy Constructor In C++?
- Characteristics Of Copy Constructors In C++
- Types Of Copy Constructors In C++
- When Do We Call The Copy Constructor In C++?
- When Is A User-Defined Copy Constructor Needed In C++?
- Types Of Constructor Copies In C++
- Can We Make The Copy Constructor In C++ Private?
- Assignment Operator Vs Copy Constructor In C++
- Example Of Class Where A Copy Constructor Is Essential
- Uses Of Copy Constructors In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- Why Do You Need Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) In C++?
- OOPs Concepts In C++ With Examples
- The Class OOPs Concept In C++
- The Object OOPs Concept In C++
- The Inheritance OOPs Concept In C++
- Polymorphism OOPs Concept In C++
- Abstraction OOPs Concept In C++
- Encapsulation OOPs Concept In C++
- Other Features Of OOPs In C++
- Benefits Of OOP In C++ Over Procedural-Oriented Programming
- Disadvantages Of OOPS Concept In C++
- Why Is C++ A Partial OOP Language?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- Introduction To Abstraction In C++
- Types Of Abstraction In C++
- What Is Data Abstraction In C++?
- Understanding Data Abstraction In C++ Using Real Life Example
- Ways Of Achieving Data Abstraction In C++
- What Is An Abstract Class?
- Advantages Of Data Abstraction In C++
- Use Cases Of Data Abstraction In C++
- Encapsulation Vs. Abstraction In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Encapsulation In C++?
- How Does Encapsulation Work In C++?
- Types Of Encapsulation In C++
- Why Do We Need Encapsulation In C++?
- Implementation Of Encapsulation In C++
- Access Specifiers & Encapsulation In C++
- Role Of Access Specifiers In Encapsulation In C++
- Member Functions & Encapsulation In C++
- Data Hiding & Encapsulation In C++
- Features Of Encapsulation In C++
- Advantages & Disadvantages Of Encapsulation In C++
- Difference Between Abstraction and Encapsulation In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Inheritance In C++?
- What Are Child And Parent Classes?
- Syntax And Structure Of Inheritance In C++
- Implementing Inheritance In C++
- Importance Of Inheritance In C++
- Types Of Inheritance In C++
- Visibility Modes Of Inheritance In C++
- Access Modifiers & Inheritance In C++
- How To Make A Private Member Inheritable?
- Member Function Overriding In Inheritance In C++
- The Diamond Problem | Inheritance In C++ & Ambiguity
- Ways To Avoid Ambiguity Inheritance In C++
- Why & When To Use Inheritance In C++?
- Advantages Of Inheritance In C++
- The Disadvantages Of Inheritance In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Hybrid Inheritance In C++?
- Importance Of Hybrid Inheritance In Object Oriented Programming
- Example Of Hybrid Inheritance In C++: Using Single and Multiple Inheritance
- Example Of Hybrid Inheritance In C++: Using Multilevel and Hierarchical Inheritance
- Real-World Applications Of Hybrid Inheritance In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Multiple Inheritance In C++?
- Examples Of Multiple Inheritance In C++
- Ambiguity Problem In Multiple Inheritance In C++
- Ambiguity Resolution In Multiple Inheritance In C++
- The Diamond Problem In Multiple Inheritance In C++
- Visibility Modes In Multiple Inheritance In C++
- Advantages & Disadvantages Of Multiple Inheritance In C++
- Multiple Inheritance Vs. Multilevel Inheritance In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Multilevel Inheritance In C++?
- Block Diagram For Multilevel Inheritance In C++
- Multilevel Inheritance In C++ Example
- Constructor & Multilevel Inheritance In C++
- Use Cases Of Multilevel Inheritance In C++
- Multiple Vs Multilevel Inheritance In C++
- Advantages & Disadvantages Of Multilevel Inheritance In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is Hierarchical Inheritance In C++?
- Example 1: Hierarchical Inheritance In C++
- Example 2: Hierarchical Inheritance In C++
- Impact of Visibility Modes In Hierarchical Inheritance In C++
- Advantages And Disadvantages Of Hierarchical Inheritance In C++
- Use Cases Of Hierarchical Inheritance In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Are Access Specifiers In C++?
- Types Of Access Specifiers In C++
- Public Access Specifiers In C++
- Private Access Specifier In C++
- Protected Access Specifier In C++
- The Need For Access Specifiers In C++
- Combined Example For All Access Specifiers In C++
- Best Practices For Using Access Specifiers In C++
- Why Can't Private Members Be Accessed From Outside A Class?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of content:
- What Is The Diamond Problem In C++?
- Example Of The Diamond Problem In C++
- Resolution Of The Diamond Problem In C++
- Virtual Inheritance To Resolve Diamond Problem In C++
- Scope Resolution Operator To Resolve Diamond Problem In C++
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Pointers in C++ | A Roadmap To All Pointer Types (With Examples)

The pointers in C++ programming are one of the most important topics anyone who wants to program in the language must be familiar with. In the general meaning of things, a pointer is what points to a thing, item, address, location, etc. Similarly, in terms of programming language, a pointer is a variable that points to the memory address of another variable, data, structure, etc. All in all, the pointer variable stores the memory location of a variable, which we can use to access and manipulate the data.
How does that work? Don't worry; by the end of this article, you will know all about pointers in C++ language, pointer declaration, types of pointers in C++, and more.
What Are Pointers In C++?
Pointers in C++ are a unique type of variable that stores the address of another variable. That is, whenever we declare a variable in C++ programs, it is stored in the memory at a specific address. A pointer to that variable points to the address of the respective variable. In other words, the value stored inside a pointer is the address of the variable it points to.
Just like variables, functions, etc., pointers in C++ also have data types. For example, a pointer of data type int (integer) can store the address of the variable of int data type. Similarly, a pointer of data type float can store the address of the variable of float data type.
What Does Address Of A Variable Mean?
For you to understand the concept of pointers in C++ and all its surrounding topics, you must first understand what we really mean by the address of a variable. In C++ or any other programming language, when a variable is declared, its value gets stored at a specific location in the memory. This specific memory location is the address of the respective variable. And pointers are used to store the address of that value, which is stored in the memory.
Pointer Declaration In C++
When declaring pointers in C++ programs, it is important to define the data type (or base type) of a pointer. And this data type (base type) of the pointer and the data type of the variable whose address is getting stored in the pointer should be the same, that is, they must take the same amount of space in memory.
Syntax For Declaring Pointers In C++
data_type *pointer_name;
Here,
- Data_type refers to the type of the value/ data the pointer is pointing to.
- The unary operator (*), also known as the dereference operator, indicates that the variable is a pointer. It is essential when declaring a pointer.
- The term pointer_name is the placeholder for the name of the pointer you are creating.
Syntax Examples for Pointer Declaration In C++
int *ptr; // Pointer of data type int
float *ptr; // Pointer of data type float
char *ptr; // Pointer of data type char
double *ptr; // Pointer of data type double
In the examples above, we first define the data type (int, float, char, double) and then the variable name with the unary operator (*). The asterisk sign is essential for valid pointer declarations as it indicates that the variable is a pointer type. It is also important to note that the actual valid address of a variable becomes apparent only at the runtime.
Note- In the declarations of pointers in C++, we use the unary operator (*) for each level of indirection. So if we are declaring a pointer to a pointer, then we will use one asterisk per pointer, i.e., **ptr.
Now, let's look at a simple C++ program that showcases how to create pointers and use them to access values stored in the variables they are pointing to.
Code Example:
#include <iostream>
int main() {
int *ptr1; // Pointer syntax for data type int
float *ptr2; // Pointer syntax for data type float
char *ptr3; // Pointer syntax for data type char
double *ptr4; // Pointer syntax for data type double
int a = 10;
ptr1 = &a; // Assign address of 'a' to ptr1
float b = 10.5;
ptr2 = &b; // Assign address of 'b' to ptr2
char c = 'x';
ptr3 = &c; // Assign address of 'c' to ptr3
double d = 1.345;
ptr4 = &d; // Assign address of 'd' to ptr4
std::cout << *ptr1 << std::endl;
std::cout << *ptr2 << std::endl;
std::cout << *ptr3 << std::endl;
std::cout << *ptr4 << std::endl;
return 0;
}
Output:
10
10.5
x
1.345
Explanation:
In the C++ code example, we first include the essential header file for input-output operations, i.e., <iostream> and use namespace scope to use the header components directly.
- In the main() function, we declare four pointer variables, ptr1, ptr2, ptr3, and ptr4, of different types, as mentioned in the code comment.
- Next, we declare four variables of different data types individually, assign values to them, and then assign their addresses to the respective pointers using the address-of operator (&).
- Now, all the pointers are pointing to a certain variable of the same data type as theirs.
- After that, we use a series of cout commands to print the values of the variables we created. But here, we use the pointers (ptr) to access these variables with the help of the indirection operator (*).
- The main() function then terminates with a return 0 statement.
How To Initialize And Use Pointers In C++?
Simply declaring pointers in C++ programs does not automatically mean that it is initialized and ready to use. That is, to use pointers in C++, we must declare and initialize them. We have already discussed how to declare pointers. For initialization, we must assign value to the pointers using the address-of operator (&). That is, assign the address of a variable to a pointer. For example, the following code fragment declares an integer variable named var and makes ptr point to it:
int var = 10;
int* ptr = &var;
Now, ptr points to the memory location of the variable. We can use the unary/ built-in indirection operator (*) to access the value stored at that location, as shown in the example above. There are three primary ways to initialize pointers in C++, which we have shown below.
1. Declare the pointers in C++ and assigning values separately
int var; //declaring the variable
int * ptr; //delaring the pointer
ptr = &var; //assigning value to the pointer using address-of operator
2. Declare and assign the value to pointers in C++ in one line
int var; //declaring the variable
int * ptr = &var; //declaring the pointer and assigning value to it in the same line
3. Pointers in C++ can also be initialized to store the value of another pointer
int var; //declaring the variable
int *ptr1 = &var; //declaring the pointer and assigning value to it
int *ptr2 = ptr1; //declaring another pointer and assigning a value of another pointer
You must now be able to declare, initialize and use pointers in C++ programs efficiently. Given below is another example of C++ code that shows how to create pointers and use them.
Code Example:
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
int main(){
int var = 10;
// declare a pointer variable
int* ptr;
// assigning the address of a variable to the pointer
ptr = &var;
cout << "Value of the pointer ptr = " << ptr << endl;
cout << "Value of the variable var = " << var << endl;
cout << "Value stored in pointer *ptr = " << *ptr << endl;
return 0;
}
Output:
Value of the pointer ptr = 0x7fffa8645cac
Value of the variable var = 10
Value stored in pointer *ptr = 10
Explanation:
In the sample C++ code-
- We initialize an integer type variable var with the value 20 inside the main() function.
- After that, we declare a pointer of type integer, ptr and then assign the address of var to it, using the address-of operator (&).
- Next, we use a set of cout commands to print the value of the pointer ptr, the value of the variable and the value stored at the location pointed to by ptr.
- This shows how we can use a pointer as is and also access the variable it is pointing to.
Time Complexity: O(1)
Space Complexity: O(1)
Different Types Of Pointers In C++
There are multiple different types of pointers in cpp classified on the basis of their nature, behaviours, use, values they point to, etc. The most commonly used type of pointers in C++ are-
- Null Pointers
- Dangling Pointers
- Void Pointers
- Wild Pointer
- Invalid Pointers
We will discuss each of these pointer types in the sections ahead, along with proper code examples.
Null Pointer In C++
In C++, when a pointer variable is assigned, the value NULL is called a null pointer. In other words, a null pointer is the type of pointer that does not point to anything. This pointer has many uses in programming, including checking for memory allocation when done dynamically, creating other pointers, avoiding memory leaks, etc. In cases where we do not have an exact address to be assigned to a pointer, it is best practice to assign it the NULL value to avoid unauthorised access or unexpected behaviour.
In C++, the null pointers have a constant value of zero, and they are defined in many C++ standard libraries. The pointer in C++ program example below showcases the working of a null pointer.
Code Example:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main () {
int *ptr = NULL;
cout << "The value of the null pointer is " << ptr ;
return 0;
}
Output:
The value of the null pointer is 0
Dangling Pointer In C++
A pointer that is pointing to a memory location that has either been freed or deleted, is referred to as a dangling pointer. It means that the actual address/ memory location that is being assigned to the pointer has been deallocated or is otherwise invalid to be dereferenced.
A dangling pointer in C++ may occur when we use the free() function to clear/ free the space allocated to a pointer from the heap memory. It is best to reassign the NULL value to the ptr after free() to avoid the creation of dangling pointers.
Code Example:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main(){
//memory allocation to pointer ptr
int* ptr = (int *)malloc(sizeof(int));
// After free call, ptr becomes a dangling pointer
free(ptr);
cout<<ptr<<endl;
// No more dangling pointer
ptr = NULL;
cout<<ptr<<endl;
}
Output:
0x1f7f010
0
Void Pointer In C++
As the name suggests, a pointer that isn't associated with any data type is called a void pointer, which is a special type of pointer in C++. A void pointer is also called a general-purpose pointer. Void pointers represent a pointer to an object/ variable of any data type without specifying its type.
In other words, these are pointers that point to a value with no concrete data type (i.e. has undetermined length and undetermined dereferencing properties). So, when we assign the address of a character variable to a void pointer, the pointer takes on the data type of the variable, i.e., becomes a character type pointer. Similarly, if we assign an int data type address to a void pointer, it becomes an integer type pointer.
Important Considerations for Void Pointers in C++:
- We cannot dereference void pointers directly, until and unless we typecast it to an actual data type.
- Pointer arithmetic is not possible on void pointers due to the lack of a fundamental data type and, thus, size.
Code Example:
#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
int main(){
int x = 2;
float y = 2.5;
//Declaring a void pointer
void *ptr;
// void pointer in now int
ptr = &x;
// (int*)ptr - does type casting of void
// *((int*)ptr) to dereferences the typecasted
// void pointer variable.
printf("Integer variable = %d", *( (int*) ptr) );
// void pointer is now float
ptr = &y;
printf("\nFloat variable = %f", *( (float*) ptr) );
return 0;
}
Output:
Integer variable = 2
Float variable = 2.500000
Note: Void pointers are also commonly used in data structures such as binary trees, linked lists, etc. These data structures are designed to work with any type of data, so they often use void pointers to store pointers to the actual data.
Wild Pointer In C++
As the name suggests, a wild pointer is a pointer that has an unpredictable behavior (and is hence wild) because it hasn't been initialized. In other words, it occurs when a pointer variable points to an undefined or invalid address/ memory location. Wild pointer often leads to program crashes, data corruption, or security vulnerabilities.
Example:
#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
int main(){
int *ptr; // wild pointer because it is pointing to an undefined location
int x = 10;
// ptr is assigned the address of x
ptr = &x; // ptr isn't a wild pointer now
cout << "The value of variable x is: " << *ptr << endl;
return 0;
}
Output:
The value of variable x is: 10
Invalid Pointers In C++
An invalid pointer is a pointer that points to an undefined or unexpected memory address. This includes uninitialized pointers, pointers that have been assigned nullptr, or a pointer that points to a location in memory that has been deallocated. We cannot dereference such pointers; otherwise, it will lead to undefined behaviour.
Code Example:
#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
int main(){
// initializing the pointer ptr
int *ptr=NULL;
//dereference the pointer
*ptr=10;
return 0;
}
Output:
Run Time Error/ Segmentation Fault
Explanation:
In the above example, the pointer ptr is initialized to null, meaning it does not point to a valid memory location. When we try to dereference the pointer using the * operator, we are trying to access the value at an undefined memory address, which can cause a segmentation fault or other runtime error.
References & Pointers In C++
The purpose of references and pointers in C++ is to provide access to another variable. Both of these are created using the ampersand symbol (&), also called the address-of operator. It hence becomes difficult to differentiate between the two. Here is a brief description of both to provide a clear picture.
Pointers: Pointers in C++ are a special type of variable that stores the memory address of another variable. For example:
int var=10;
int *ptr = &var;
References: On the other hand, references are used to create aliases, i.e., alternative names for a variable declared previously with another name. This allows us to refer to a single variable with multiple names without creating copies of the variable.
int var=10;
int &ref = var;
Irrespective of this, pointers and references are closely related since both allow us to access the data stored in another variable/ location indirectly. Think of it like this- pointers also act as references to a variable by allowing access to its location. Both references and pointers in C++ are widely used to pass arguments to functions. The relation between references and pointers can also be understood by looking at the ways of passing arguments to a function. These include:
- Call by value
- Call-By-Reference with Pointer Argument
- Call-By-Reference with Reference Argument
Let’s take a look at an example to see the implementation of these methods and get a better understanding of them.
Code Example :
#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
// Variable value is the parameter (pass-by value)
void fun1(int a){
a=20;}
//Paramter is a reference (Pass-By-Reference)
void fun2(int &b){
b=20;
}
//Parameter is a pointer (Pass-By-Reference from pointer)
void fun3(int *b){
*b=30;
}
int main(){
int var =10;
fun1(var);
cout<<"Value of variable var: "<<var<<endl;
fun2(var);
cout<<"Value of variable var: "<<var<<endl;
fun3(&var);
cout<<"Value of variable var: "<<var<<endl;
return 0;
}
Output:
Value of variable var: 10
Value of variable var: 20
Value of variable var: 30
Explanation:
In the above code, we have called three functions where be pass parameters in three different ways, i.e., by value (variable name), by reference with a pointer argument, and by reference with a reference argument.
Indirection Or Dereferencing Operator (*) For Pointers In C
In C++, an indirection or dereferencing operator is used with the pointer variable to represent the value of another variable. The dereference operator is denoted with an asterisk (*).
Example:
int var=10;
int *ptr;
p=&var;
//Now *ptr will print the value of var
Reference Operator (&) And Dereference Operator (*)
A reference operator is used to get the address of a variable. And the dereference operator(*) is used to get the “value pointed by” a pointer. Below is an example showcasing how these work in action.
Example:
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
int main(){
int x=10;
int *ptr;
ptr = &x; //storing the address of variable x using & operator in pointer ptr
cout << *ptr; //*ptr will give the value pointed by pointer
}
Output:
10
Arrays And Pointers In C++
As discussed, a pointer is a variable that stores the address of another variable. It is important to note that this characteristic is not limited to a single variable, that is, it can also store the address of every element of an array. When we assign an array to a pointer, the pointer variable essentially points to the first element of the array.
Code Example:
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
int main(){
int *ptr;
int arr[5]={10,20,30,40,50};
// store the address of the first element of arr in ptr
ptr = arr;
}
Note that we can access and manipulate all the elements in arrays using the pointer to array and array indices, which give the position of the elements of arrays. Just like in the example above where ptr=arr stores the address of the first element of the array, it is the same as ptr=&arrr[0];
So, when we want to point to another element of the array, we will use ptr + i. Here, ptr + 1 will point to the second element of the array. Similarly, ptr + 2 will point to the third element, and so on. That is-
ptr + 1 is equivalent to &arr[1];
ptr + 2 is equivalent to &arr[2];
ptr + 3 is equivalent to &arr[3];
ptr + 4 is equivalent to &arr[4];
Look at the example C++ program below to learn how you can use pointers to access array elements.
Code Example:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main(){
int arr[4];
int *ptr; // declare pointer variable
cout << "Printing address using arrays: " << endl;
// Using for loop to print addresses of all array elements
for (int i = 0; i < 4; ++i){
cout << "&arr[" << i << "] = " << &arr[i] << endl;
}
ptr = arr; // ptr = &arr[0]
cout<<"\nPrinting address using pointers: "<< endl;
//for loop to print addresses of all array elements through pointer notation
for (int i = 0; i < 4; ++i){
cout << "ptr + " << i << " = "<< ptr + i << endl;
}
return 0;
}
Output:
Printing address using arrays:
&arr[0] = 0x61fef0
&arr[1] = 0x61fef4
&arr[2] = 0x61fef8Printing address using pointers:
ptr + 0 = 0x61fef0
ptr + 1 = 0x61fef4
ptr + 2 = 0x61fef8
Explanation:
In this C++ example-
- We first declare an integer array with 4 elements (arr[4]) and an integer pointer ptr.
- Next, we use a for loop to access and print the address of all array elements. The loop begins loop variable i initially set to 0 and continues till i<4, incrementing it by 1 after every iteration.
- Here, i refers to the index value/ position of the element of the array whose address is printed by the cout command inside the for loop.
- After that, we assign the array to the pointer ptr, so it points to the first element of arr. Then, print a string message using cout, where the newline escape sequence shifts the cursor to the next line before printing.
- We once again create a for loop to print the addresses of array elements, but this time, we use the pointer, incrementing the value with every iteration to shift to the next position.
- This shows how a pointer to an array initially points to the first element and can be used to access all elements.
String Literals & Pointers In C++
Pointers and string literals are also important concepts in C++ and are widely used to manipulate strings/ textual data. In this section, we will discuss these literals and see how they can be used with pointers in C++.
What Are String Literals?
To begin with, string literals are representations of a sequence/ array of characters that form null-terminated character sequences. The element of these literals is of type const char (i.e., constant character) because it is not possible to modify the characters in a string. Also, the sequence of characters in a string literal (also known as a string constant) is enclosed in double quotes (" "). For example:
"Hello Unstoppable"
"Be Unstoppable"
String Literals As Pointers In C++
We know that string literals are stored as arrays of character sequences, implying that a string literal is also a pointer to the first character in the respective array. For example, “Hello Unstoppable” is the pointer to the first character ‘H’.
char *ptr=”Hello Unstoppable”;
Pointer ptr points to the first character of the string, which is ‘H’. To access other characters, we can use pointer arithmetic.
printf("%c" ,*(ptr+1) ); // prints e
printf("%c" ,*(ptr+2 ); // prints l
We can use pointers to string literals just like pointers to arrays and access/ manipulate the textual data stored in them.
Pointers To Pointers In C++ (Double Pointers)
A pointer that stores a memory address to another variable is referred to as a pointer variable. But if we define another pointer variable to store the memory address of the first pointer, it is known as a pointer to pointer or a double pointer in C++.
If we have a variable x=10, and we declare a pointer ptr1 to store its memory address and then declare another pointer ptr2 to store the memory address of pointer ptr1. Then, pointer ptr2 will be called pointer to pointer. We use a double asterisk(**) to represent pointer to pointer, that is, one asterisk per pointer/ level of indirection.
Code Example:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main () {
int var=10;
int *ptr1;
int **ptr2;
// ptr1 take the address of var
ptr1 = &var;
// ptr2 take the address of ptr1 using the operator &
ptr2 = &ptr1;
cout << "Value of var :" << var << endl;
cout << "Value available at *ptr1:" << *ptr1 << endl;
cout << "Value available at **ptr2 :" << **ptr2 << endl;
return 0;
}
Output:
Value of var :10
Value available at *ptr1 :10
Value available at **ptr2 :10
Arithmetic Operation On Pointers In C++
The most common arithmetical operations on pointers are addition, subtraction, increment, and decrement. Addition and subtraction operations on pointers involve adding or subtracting an integer value to or from the memory address stored in the pointer.
- For example, if we have a pointer p that points to an integer x, we can add an integer n to the address stored in p to access the memory location of the integer n positions away from x.
- Similarly, we can subtract an integer n from the address stored in p to access the memory location of the integer n positions before x.
- We can also use the increment operator to get the increment pointer. That is, we can use the address stored in p to access the memory location of the next integer in memory.
- Similarly, we can use the decrement operator and the address stored in p, to access the address in memory of the previous integer in memory.
In the example below, we will look at implementing all these arithmetic operations on pointers in C++.
Code Example:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
int arr[5] = { 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 };
int *ptr = arr;
int *q = &arr[3];
cout << "ptr:" << ptr << endl;
cout << "Arithmetic Operations On Pointers:\n";
// incrementing the pointer
ptr++;
cout << "ptr++: " << ptr << endl;
// decrementing the pointer
ptr--;
cout << "ptr--: " << ptr << endl;
// addition on pointer
ptr = ptr + 2;
cout << "ptr = ptr + 2: " << ptr << endl;
// subtraction on pointer
ptr = ptr - 2; // Changed 'p' to 'ptr'
cout << "ptr = ptr - 2: " << ptr << endl;
int d = q - ptr;
d = d / 2;
cout << "d = q - ptr: " << d << endl;
return 0;
}
Output:
ptr:0x7ffdaa84e7d0
Arithmetic Operations On Pointers:
ptr++: 0x7ffdaa84e7d4
ptr--: 0x7ffdaa84e7d0
ptr = ptr + 2: 0x7ffdaa84e7d8
ptr = ptr - 2: 0x7ffdaa84e7d0
d = q - ptr: 1
Explanation:
- We first declare and initialize an integer array named arr with 5 integer elements.
- Next, we initialize two interger pointers: ptr with the array and q with the array element at position 3.
- After that, as mentioned in the code comments, we perform a series of arithmetic operations on the original pointers using increment and arithmetic operators.
Advantages Of Pointers In C++
Pointers in C++ are powerful tools that allow developers to manage memory manipulation and dynamic memory allocation effectively. Here are a few advantages of pointers in C++:
- The primary advantage of using a pointer is instead of storing a value directly, a pointer stores the memory address of the value, allowing programs to manipulate the data directly.
- Pointers allow programs to pass large data structures between functions without having to copy the entire structure.
- Using pointers can also help optimize program performance by reducing the number of memory lookups needed to access data.
- Pointers allow programs to manipulate data in memory directly, giving developers greater control over how data is used and stored. This is especially useful for handling dynamic data structures and complex data structures, such as linked lists, trees, graphs, etc.
Some Common Mistakes To Avoid With Pointers In Cpp
While pointers in C++ are essential, they also sometimes be confusing to use and lead to problems if not handled carefully. Below are a few important common mistakes that should be avoided while using pointers.
- Not Initializing Pointers: One of the most common mistakes is not initializing pointers in C++. When you declare a pointer variable, it does not point to a specific memory address by default and leaving it uninitialized can lead to security issues.
- Dangling Pointers: A dangling pointer is a pointer that points to a memory location that has been freed or deleted. This can lead to undefined behavior or even a crash.
- Forgetting to Dereference Pointers: Dereferencing a pointer means accessing the value stored at the memory address pointed to by the pointer. Forgetting to dereference a pointer can result in errors or unexpected behavior.
- Not Checking for NULL Pointers: NULL pointers are pointers that do not point to a valid memory address. If you try to access the value stored at a NULL pointer, you will get a segmentation fault.
- Memory Leaks: Memory leaks occur when you allocate memory dynamically using functions like malloc() or new() operator but fail to deallocate it when it is no longer needed. This can lead to a shortage of memory, causing your program to crash.
Conclusion
Pointers in C++ serve multiple purposes such as for dynamic memory allocation and manipulation of data and data structures. While they can be tricky to use correctly, understanding how pointers work and being careful with memory management can lead to efficient and effective code.
It is important to remember always to initialize pointers, avoid dangling pointers, and properly deallocate memory to avoid memory leaks. With proper usage and care, pointers in C++ can be an invaluable asset to any programmer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is pointer vs pointer address?
Pointers in C++ are special variables that store the address of another variable. A pointer address is the memory address of a pointer variable. Like any other variable, a pointer variable is stored in memory, and its memory address can be accessed using the address-of operator, i.e., the ampersand sign (&).
Q. How do you declare a pointer of a pointer in CPP?
A pointer variable stores the memory address of another variable, but if we define another pointer variable to store the memory address of the first pointer, it is known as a pointer to a pointer. This is also referred to as a double pointer.
Example:
int var = 23; //initializing an integer variable
int *ptr1 = &var; // declaring an integer pointer and assign a value to it
int **ptr2 = &ptr1; // declaring another pointer and storing previous pointer in it
Q. What do the asterisk (*) and ampersand (&) symbols indicate in the pointer in C++?
The asterisk and ampersand symbols are frequently used for the concepts of references and pointers in C++. Here is what they stand for:
- Sign & is the reference operator or the address-of operator that is used to get the address of a variable.
- Sign * is the dereference operator(*) used to get the value pointed by a pointer.
Q. Can a pointer point to two addresses?
No, a pointer cannot point to more than one address. That is, a pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable, and it can only point to one memory address at a time. You can, however, reassign a pointer to point to a new variable if needed.
Q. How do you declare a pointer in a function declaration?
To declare a pointer in a function declaration, we need to specify the data type of the pointer and the function name, followed by the pointer variable name in parentheses.
void function_name(int *ptr) {
// Function body
}
Q. How do you declare a pointer array in CPP?
We know that a pointer is a variable that can store the address of another variable, but it is not limited to a single variable. It can also store the address of every element of an array. To declare a pointer array in C++, you can use the following syntax:
data_type* pointer_array_name[size];
The concept of pointers in C++ is integral to writing efficient codes.
Test Your Skills: Quiz Time
Here are a few other important topics you must explore:
- Logical Operators In C++ | Use, Precedence & More (With Examples)
- C++ If-Else | All Conditional Statements Explained With Examples
- Pointer To Object In C++ | Simplified Explanation & Examples
- The 'this' Pointer In C++ | Declaration, Constness, Applications & More
- OOPs Concept In C++ | A Detailed Guide With Codes & Explanations
An economics graduate with a passion for storytelling, I thrive on crafting content that blends creativity with technical insight. At Unstop, I create in-depth, SEO-driven content that simplifies complex tech topics and covers a wide array of subjects, all designed to inform, engage, and inspire our readers. My goal is to empower others to truly #BeUnstoppable through content that resonates. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me immersed in art, food, or lost in a good book—constantly drawing inspiration from the world around me.
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