Pointers
Using the reference operator &
and the dereference operator *
, we can create and work with pointers.
A pointer is a data type, just like int
, char
, or double
.
The pointer is designed to store an address, which you can obtain using the &
operator.
To declare a pointer, prepend it with the *
character.
In essence, a pointer is a variable that holds the address of another object.
Note
Typically, pointers are named by prefixing the letter
p
to the name of the object they're pointing to.
![](https://codefinity-content-media.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/0472c1c8-2260-4847-940e-7678335677da/add/rfgd.png)
When you dereference a pointer, you access the value of the variable it points to.
Main.c
Note
*(&variable) == *pVariable
If you attempt to dereference a null pointer, the compiler will raise an error:
Example provided to showcase the mistake
Main.c
Task
Determine the size of int
and double
pointers.
Everything was clear?
Course Content
C Basics
C Basics
Pointers
Using the reference operator &
and the dereference operator *
, we can create and work with pointers.
A pointer is a data type, just like int
, char
, or double
.
The pointer is designed to store an address, which you can obtain using the &
operator.
To declare a pointer, prepend it with the *
character.
In essence, a pointer is a variable that holds the address of another object.
Note
Typically, pointers are named by prefixing the letter
p
to the name of the object they're pointing to.
![](https://codefinity-content-media.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/0472c1c8-2260-4847-940e-7678335677da/add/rfgd.png)
When you dereference a pointer, you access the value of the variable it points to.
Main.c
Note
*(&variable) == *pVariable
If you attempt to dereference a null pointer, the compiler will raise an error:
Example provided to showcase the mistake
Main.c
Task
Determine the size of int
and double
pointers.
Everything was clear?