pointer variable vs reference variables

[sulekhasweety]

dear all,


can anyone explain the differences between pointer variable and
reference variables ?

 

[santosh]

dear all,


can anyone explain the differences between pointer variable and
reference variables ?

You'll have to ask in a C++ group (comp.lang.c++) or in a group
appropriate to whatever language you are using (presumably it contains
both pointers and references, hence your question). C has no
references. If you want language independent responses, then
comp.programming might be a better place to post this question.

 

[Tomás Ó hÉilidhe]

dear all,

can anyone explain the differences between pointer variable and
reference variables ?

References don't exist in C, they're a C++ thing. A reference is
simply a pointer with the following features:
* You don't have to dereference it, it gets dereferenced
automagically
* You can't change what it points to

So the following two are equivalent:

void Func(int const *p) { *p = 5; }

void Func(int &i) { p = 5; }

If you want references in C, then you can play around with macroes:

void Func(int const *p)
{
# define i (*p)

i = 5;
}

 

[Tomás Ó hÉilidhe]

    void Func(int &i) { p = 5; }

i = 5;

 

[Tomás Ó hÉilidhe]

    void Func(int const *p) { *p = 5; }

int *const p

    void Func(int const *p)

int *const p

I should go back to bed.

 

[rahul]

pointers. They point only to one object, and may never be null.

A bit off the topic, but references can be null in Java. References in
Java work
like constant pointers in C.