Pointers

Arithmetic
PF TEAM, FIT UCP

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Topics Heading

 Variables and Memory Lecture

Allocations
 Introduction to Pointers
Outline
 Pointers Arithmetic
 Pointers VS Arrays

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 Variables and Memory

 A computer memory location has an address and a data content

associated to that address
 Each variable that you have created in your program is assigned a
memory space (in term of bytes)
 The value of that variable is actually stored in those particular bytes
of computer’s memory

Note: Computer’s memory is byte addressable i.e. every byte has an address
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 Variables and Memory

 In case of int num = 10;4-bytes are allocatedMemory

to
store the value/data of int type variable num at Address
a particularData
memory location 0000
 Hypothetically saying, int num; is assigned a memory
location having address 5000 4999
 The next free memory location will be at 5004,integer
5000 10
datatype is of 4-bytes 5004 Free space

9999
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Pointers
Pointer’s datatype is designed to hold the memory address
With pointers you can indirectly manipulate the content of other
variable
The pointer’s datatype and variable datatype should be same i.e.
integer pointer can not point to a character variable or vice versa

Right Wrong

int a = 10; int a = 10;

int *ptr; char *ptr;
/*ptr is a pointer to an int*/ /*ptr is a pointer to a char*/
ptr = &a; ptr = &a;
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Pointers
#include <iostream> Memory
using
 namespace std; Variable Address Value/
Data num
int main(){ 5000 10
num 5000 10
int num = 10;
int *ptr;
ptr = &a;
ptr 6400 5000
return 0;
} ptr *ptr
5000
Note: Memory address assigned to variable “a” and pointer “ptr”are
hypothetical PAGE
Pointers

 If a pointer is pointing to a variable, it can access the value of that variable as well by
using de-reference operator i.e. asterisk *
Code Output on Console

int a = 10; ptr value = 10

int *ptr; a = 20
/*address of a assigned to ptr */
ptr = &a;
Cout<<”ptr value = ”<<*ptr<<endl;
*ptr = 20;
cout<<”a = ”<<a<<endl;

Note: Changing value of “ptr” reflects in “a” and vice versa

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 Pointers Arithmetic
 Some mathematical operations can be performed on pointers
 increment ++, decrement – – , addition +, subtraction –
 The arithmetic of pointers is NOT same as of other variables
Effect of arithmetic on different datatype
OPERATION char *prt int *ptr double *ptr
Bytes allocated sizeof(char) sizeof(int) sizeof(double)
to datatype 1-bytes 4-bytes 8-bytes
ptr++; Ptr = ptr + 1 Ptr = ptr + 4 Ptr = ptr + 8
ptr--; Ptr = ptr - 1 Ptr = ptr - 4 Ptr = ptr - 8
ptr = ptr + n Ptr = ptr + n*1 Ptr = ptr + n*4 Ptr = ptr + n*8
ptr = ptr - n Ptr = ptr - n*1 Ptr = ptr - n*4 Ptr = ptr - n*8
Generic Form ptr = ptr (+ or – ) n*sizeof(datatype)

Note: Number added or subtracted from the pointer’s value solely depends upon the datatype of pointer
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 Variablesand
Pointers andArrays
Memory

th
 Name of the array is the address of 0 index of array
 Array name can be used as constant pointer, and pointers can be
used as array names
 Pointer arithmetic is very important while manipulation array

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Use of Array as Pointer
int arr[6] = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60}

int *ptr = arr; //ptr pointing to arr

Following Table shows array and pointer manipulation

Address of Accessing Array Pointer to De-referencing

the Array Element Array pointer to array
arr 5000 arr[0] 10 ptr 5000 *(ptr) 10
arr + 1 5004 arr[1] 20 ptr + 1 5004 *(ptr + 1) 20
arr + 2 5008 arr[2] 30 ptr + 2 5008 *(ptr + 2) 30
arr + 3 5012 arr[3] 40 ptr + 3 5012 *(ptr + 3) 40
arr + 4 5016 arr[4] 50 ptr + 4 5016 *(ptr + 4) 50
arr + 5 5020 arr[5] 60 ptr + 5 5020 *(ptr + 5) 60

Note: *(arr+1), arr[1] and *(ptr + 1) are same PAGE

 Variablesand
Pointers andArrays
Memory

 ptr = ptr + 1; switches the pointer to the next index of array

 ptr = ptr + 1; it will add 4 rather then 1 in final value of
pointer

Note: Pointer’s arithmetic is different from the arithmetic performed on

other data types
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 Variablesand
Pointers andArrays
Memory

 Two pointers pointing at different indices of array arr

arr[0] arr[1] arr[2] arr[3] arr[4] arr[5]
10 20 30 40 50 60
int arr[6] = {10,20,30,40,50,60}
int *ptr1, ptr2;
ptr1 = arr;// ptr1 = &arr[0]
ptr2 = &arr[3]
ptr1 ptr2

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 int arr[6] = {10,20,30,40,50,60}
VariablesHitch
Pointers and Memory
Hikes int *ptr;
ptr = arr; // ptr1 = &arr[0]

ptr pointing to index zero of arr

•
ptr Value of pointer i.e. address

*ptr Dereference the pointer, content of memory i.e. value

*++ptr//equivalent of *(++ptr) st
1 increment ptr then dereference the pointer

++*ptr //equivalent of ++(*ptr) 1st dereference the pointer then increment

*ptr++ //equivalent of (*ptr)++ 1st dereference the pointer then increment

Precedence principle; from right to left.

Postfix mode; increment happen after the expression
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 Variables Code
Example and Memory
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
Program output
value of arr = 005DF920
int main(){
• value of ptr = 005DF920
value of ++*ptr = 11
int arr[6] = {10,20,30,40,50,60}
value of *++ptr = 20
int *ptr1 = arr;// ptr1 = &arr[0]
value of *ptr++ = 20
cout<<”value of arr = ”<<arr<<endl; value of *ptr = 30
cout<<”value of ptr = ”<<ptr<<endl;
cout<<”value of ++*ptr = ”<<++*ptr<<endl;
cout<<”value of *++ptr = ”<<*++ptr<<endl;
Note:
cout<<”value of *ptr++ = ”<<*ptr++<<endl; 005DF920 is the address where
cout<<”value of *ptr = ”<<*ptr<<endl; memory is assigned to array.
You may have some other
return 0; address value
}
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 Variablesand
Pointers andArrays
Memory

 ptr = ptr + 1, switch the pointer to the next index of array

 ptr = ptr + 1, it will add 4 rather then 1 in final value of
pointer

Note: Pointer’s arithmetic is different from the arithmetic performed on

other data types

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Points to ponder