ECE 151 – Introduction to
Programming
Chapter 9:
Pointers
Getting the Address of a Variable
● Each variable in program is stored at a unique address
● Use address operator & to get address of a variable:
int num = -99;
cout << # // prints address
// in hexadecimal
Pointer Variables
● Pointer variable : Often just called a pointer, it's a variable that holds an
address
● Because a pointer variable holds the address of another piece of data, it
"points" to the data
Something Like Pointers: Arrays
● We have already worked with something similar to
pointers, when we learned to pass arrays as arguments
to functions.
● For example, suppose we use this statement to pass the
array numbers to the showValues function:
showValues(numbers, SIZE);
Something Like Pointers : Arrays
The values parameter, in the showValues function, points to the
numbers array.
C++ automatically stores the
address of numbers in the
values parameter.
Something Like Pointers:
Reference Variables
● We have also worked with something like pointers
when we learned to use reference variables. Suppose we
have this function:
void getOrder(int &donuts)
{
cout << "How many doughnuts do you want? ";
cin >> donuts;
}
● And we call it with this code:
int jellyDonuts;
getOrder(jellyDonuts);
Something Like Pointers:
Reference Variables
The donuts parameter, in the getOrder function, points to the
jellyDonuts variable.
C++ automatically stores the
address of jellyDonuts in
the donuts parameter.
Pointer Variables
● Pointer variables are yet another way using a memory
address to work with a piece of data.
● Pointers are more "low-level" than arrays and
reference variables.
● This means you are responsible for finding the address
you want to store in the pointer and correctly using it.
Pointer Variables
● Definition:
int *intptr;
● Read as:
“intptr can hold the address of an int”
● Spacing in definition does not matter:
int * intptr; // same as above
int* intptr; // same as above
Pointer Variables
● Assigning an address to a pointer variable:
int *intptr;
intptr = #
● Memory layout:
num intptr
25
0x4a00
address of num: 0x4a00
The Indirection Operator
● The indirection operator (*) dereferences a pointer.
● It allows you to access the item that the pointer points to.
int x = 25;
int *intptr = &x;
cout << *intptr << endl;
This prints 25.
15
The Relationship Between Arrays and
Pointers
● Array name is starting address of array
int vals[] = {4, 7, 11};
4 7 11
starting address of vals: 0x4a00
cout << vals; // displays
// 0x4a00
cout << vals[0]; // displays 4
The Relationship Between Arrays and
Pointers
● Array name can be used as a pointer constant:
int vals[] = {4, 7, 11};
cout << *vals; // displays 4
● Pointer can be used as an array name:
int *valptr = vals;
cout << valptr[1]; // displays 7
18
Pointers in Expressions
Given:
int vals[]={4,7,11}, *valptr;
valptr = vals;
What is valptr + 1? It means (address in
valptr) + (1 * size of an int)
cout << *(valptr+1); //displays 7
cout << *(valptr+2); //displays 11
Must use ( ) as shown in the expressions
Array Access
● Array elements can be accessed in many ways:
Array access method Example
array name and [] vals[2] = 17;
pointer to array and [] valptr[2] = 17;
array name and subscript *(vals + 2) = 17;
arithmetic
pointer to array and *(valptr + 2) = 17;
subscript arithmetic
Array Access
● Conversion: vals[i] is equivalent to *(vals + i)
● No bounds checking performed on array access, whether using array
name or a pointer
From Program 9-7
Pointer Arithmetic
● Operations on pointer variables:
Operation Example
int vals[]={4,7,11};
int *valptr = vals;
++, -- valptr++; // points at 7
valptr--; // now points at 4
+, - (pointer and int) cout << *(valptr + 2); // 11
+=, -= (pointer valptr = vals; // points at 4
and int) valptr += 2; // points at 11
- (pointer from pointer) cout << valptr–val; // difference
//(number of ints) between valptr
// and val
9-23
From Program 9-9
Initializing Pointers
● Can initialize at definition time:
int num, *numptr = #
int val[3], *valptr = val;
● Cannot mix data types:
double cost;
int *ptr = &cost; // won’t work
● Can test for an invalid address for ptr with:
if (!ptr) ...
Comparing Pointers
● Relational operators (<, >=, etc.) can be used to compare addresses in
pointers
● Comparing addresses in pointers is not the same as comparing contents
pointed at by pointers:
if (ptr1 == ptr2) // compares
// addresses
if (*ptr1 == *ptr2) // compares
// contents
9-26
Pointers as Function Parameters
● A pointer can be a parameter
● Works like reference variable to allow change to
argument from within function
● Requires:
1) asterisk * on parameter in prototype and heading
void getNum(int *ptr); // ptr is pointer to an int
2) asterisk * in body to dereference the pointer
cin >> *ptr;
3) address as argument to the function
getNum(&num); // pass address of num to getNum
Example
void swap(int *x, int *y)
{ int temp;
temp = *x;
*x = *y;
*y = temp;
}
int num1 = 2, num2 = -3;
swap(&num1, &num2);
(Program Continues)
Pointers to Constants
● If we want to store the address of a constant in a pointer, then we need to
store it in a pointer-to-const.
Pointers to Constants
● Example: Suppose we have the following definitions:
const int SIZE = 6;
const double payRates[SIZE] =
{ 18.55, 17.45, 12.85,
14.97, 10.35, 18.89 };
● In this code, payRates is an array of constant doubles.
9-32
Pointers to Constants
● Suppose we wish to pass the payRates array to a
function? Here's an example of how we can do it.
void displayPayRates(const double *rates, int size)
{
for (int count = 0; count < size; count++)
{
cout << "Pay rate for employee " << (count + 1)
<< " is $" << *(rates + count) << endl;
}
}
The parameter, rates, is a pointer to const double.
Declaration of a Pointer to Constant
Constant Pointers
● A constant pointer is a pointer that is initialized with an address, and cannot
point to anything else.
● Example
int value = 22;
int * const ptr = &value;
Constant Pointers
Constant Pointers to Constants
● A constant pointer to a constant is:
○ a pointer that points to a constant
○ a pointer that cannot point to anything except what it is pointing to
● Example:
int value = 22;
const int * const ptr = &value;
Constant Pointers to Constants
Dynamic Memory Allocation
● Can allocate storage for a variable while program is running
● Computer returns address of newly allocated variable
● Uses new operator to allocate memory:
double *dptr;
dptr = new double;
● new returns address of memory location
Dynamic Memory Allocation
● Can also use new to allocate array:
const int SIZE = 25;
arrayPtr = new double[SIZE];
● Can then use [] or pointer arithmetic to access array:
for(i = 0; i < SIZE; i++)
*arrayptr[i] = i * i;
or
for(i = 0; i < SIZE; i++)
*(arrayptr + i) = i * i;
● Program will terminate if not enough memory available to
allocate
Releasing Dynamic Memory
● Use delete to free dynamic memory:
delete fptr;
● Use [] to free dynamic array:
delete [] arrayptr;
● Only use delete with dynamic memory!
Program 9-14 (Continued)
Notice that in line 49 the value 0 is assigned to the sales pointer. It is a
good practice to store 0 in a pointer variable after using delete on it. First,
it prevents code from inadvertently using the pointer to access the area of
memory that was freed. Second, it prevents errors from occurring if
delete is accidentally called on the pointer again. The delete operator
is designed to have no effect when used on a null pointer.
Returning Pointers from Functions
● Pointer can be the return type of a function:
int* newNum();
● The function must not return a pointer to a local
variable in the function.
● A function should only return a pointer:
○ to data that was passed to the function as an argument, or
○ to dynamically allocated memory
From Program 9-15
Thank You
