Creating Pointers in C++
A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable. Pointers are essential for dynamic memory management, passing data to functions efficiently, and creating complex data structures.
Syntax of Creating a Pointer
data_type *pointer_name = &variable_name;
Example: Declaring and Initializing a Pointer
#include <iostream>
int main() {
int age = 40;
int *ptr = &age;
std::cout << "Memory Address of age: " << ptr << std::endl;
return 0;
}
Explanation: ptr
is a pointer that stores the address of age
. Printing ptr
outputs the address of age
.
Key Takeaways
- Pointers store memory addresses of other variables.
- Use the
&
operator to assign a variable's address to a pointer. - They are fundamental in C++ for efficient memory management and data manipulation.