C++ Pointers

In C++, a pointer is a variable that holds the memory address of another variable. Instead of directly storing a value, pointers store the location in memory where the value is kept.

Syntax:

type* pointer_name;

Explanation:

• type is the type of the variable the pointer will point to (e.g., int, char, etc.).
• pointer_name is the name of the pointer variable.

Use of Pointers

1. Pointer Declaration: A pointer is declared by placing an asterisk (*) before the pointer variable’s name.

Example:

int* ptr;  // Pointer to an integer

2. Pointer Initialization: A pointer is initialized with the memory address of a variable using the address-of operator (&).

Example:

int num = 10;
int* ptr = #  // ptr now stores the address of num

3. Dereferencing: Dereferencing a pointer means accessing the value stored at the memory address the pointer is pointing to. This is done using the asterisk (*).

Example:

int value = *ptr;  // Dereferencing ptr to get the value stored at the address it points to

Complete Example:

#include 
using namespace std;

int main() {
    int num = 10;         // A regular integer variable
    int* ptr = #      // Pointer ptr holds the address of num

    cout << "Value of num: " << num << endl;   // Output: 10
    cout << "Address of num: " << &num << endl;  // Output: Memory address of num
    cout << "Value pointed to by ptr: " << *ptr << endl;  // Output: 10 (value at address ptr points to)

    return 0;
}

Output: