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Explain reference variable and how it is different from pointer variable?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
In JAVA, all variables are reference variables, and there are no pointer variables. Even though the platform may implement them as pointers, they are not available as such. In C, no variables are reference variables. They are a C++ enhancement. In C++ a reference variable is syntactically the same as a pointer variable, except that the use of the indirection operator (*) is implicit. You do declare reference variables slightly differently than pointer variables but, once you do so, they can be treated as non-pointer variables. Reference variables also cannot be redefined once they have been initialized to point to some object. They are const. Structurally, there is no difference between a pointer variable and a reference variable. They are both still pointers. The compiler just makes it easier to treat reference variables and non-pointer variables the same way.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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When would you use a pointer and a reference variable?
pointer: to access data by address reference: there is no reference in C language
What is pointer why you use pointer?
Pointer is a variable that stores the address of another variable. Since pointer is also akind of variable, thus pointer itself will be stored at a different memory location.
How do you update a data file in c plus plus with a reference?
You cannot store references. A reference is nothing more than an alias, an alternate name for an existing variable or constant. References are primarily used when passing variables to functions such that the function can operate upon the variable itself -- known as passing by reference. The function refers to the variable by a different name, an alias, but it is the same variable. By contrast, when passing a variable by value the function uses a copy of that variable, assigning the variable's value to that copy. References are often confused with pointers, primarily because C uses the term to mean a pointer (hence the term, dereferencing). But in C++ a reference is a separate entity altogether. Unlike a reference, a pointer is a variable in its own right, one that can be used to store a memory address. Since a pointer has storage, you can store a pointer in a data file. However, in reality you are only storing the pointer's value -- a memory address -- not an actual pointer. Pointers and references are similar insofar as they can both refer to an object. A pointer does this by storing the memory address of the object, while a reference refers directly to the object itself. Thus if you have a pointer and a reference to the same object, the pointer's value is exactly the same as the address of the reference. Therefore the only way you can store a reference is by storing the object being referred to, not the reference itself.
What is the difference between value type parameters and reference type parameters?
When a variable is passed by value, the function receives a copy of the variable. When a variable is passed by reference, the function receives a reference, or pointer, to the original data.
What is an alias name given to a variable in opp with c plus plus?
An alias is a reference, an alternate name for a variable or constant. You can assign the address of any variable or constant to a reference of the same type. A reference is a bit like a constant pointer to the type but, unlike a pointer, a reference has no address of its own thus you cannot store references. More importantly, references can never be NULL. They are simply an alternative name by which you can refer to an existing variable or constant. When you assign a value to an existing reference to a variable, you are assigning the value to the variable itself. When you pass a reference to a function, you are passing the address of the value being referred to, and that address is assigned to the function's reference argument and is local to the function. This is not unlike passing a pointer, but pointers may be NULL, references are guaranteed to be non-NULL (a NULL reference invalidates your program). Note that C++ references are not the same as C reference variables or constants. In C, a reference variable is simply a non-const pointer, while a reference constant is a constant pointer. Hence pointers can be dereferenced (both in C and C++). But in C++, a reference is neither a variable nor a pointer, but is constant (it always refers to the same object and cannot be reassigned once assigned).
How many pointers can be used in a c program?
Answergenerally we use simple pointer, void pointer,null pointer, structure pointer. Answerzero or more (unlimited).
What is pointer of pointer?
pointer is the variable that holds the address of another variable
Define pointer in C?
Pointer is a variable, A variable that stores the address of another variable. Size of a pointer is 2 bytes.
WHAT IS POINTER TO POINTER IN C POINTER?
Pointer in C is Memory Reference. It stores memory address of any variable, constant, function or something you later use in your programming. Pointer basically used to ease the referencing of variables and others or in polymorphism and inheritance.
How can you change values in call by reference?
We don't call by reference, we call functions. The arguments passed to the function are passed (not called) either by value or by reference, depending upon the function signature (the prototype). When you pass by reference you are passing the actual variable, not a copy of the variable, thus the function can modify that variable's value directly. The only exception is when the parameter is declared a constant reference. Passing a pointer is essentially the same as passing by reference, however the pointer itself is passed by value. To pass a pointer by reference you must pass a pointer-to-pointer instead. Passing by value always copies the value, whether it is declared constant or not. But if it is declared constant, the function might as well accept a constant reference. Passing objects (instances of a class) by constant value will incur a performance penalty in making an unnecessary copy. If it is constant, there is little point in copying the object.
In pointers what is the use of pointer variable?
Pointer is a variable that stores the address of another variable . So pointer basically stores the address of another variable and size of pointer can be evaluated by using sizeof operator.
What is a ponters in c-programming?
with the help of pointers we able to store the memory location of any variable. In c the pointer variable is use to store the memory location of any variable. The pointer variable is define as a simple variable but in pointer variable use a special "*" character at the left most side of name of pointer variable. If any variable name have * it means it is a pointer variable it hold the memory location of variable.
