Variables that refer to memory locations.
A pointer holds a memory address; a reference is an alias to an object. Pointers enable dynamic structures and efficient parameter passing but risk null dereference, dangling pointers and buffer overflows. Smart pointers (C++) and ownership rules (Rust) manage lifetime.
int *p=&x; *p=5; changes x via the pointer.
Pointers and references let code refer to shared data, which is efficient but a common source of bugs when misused.
Variables that refer to memory locations.
Pointers and references let code refer to shared data, which is efficient but a common source of bugs when misused.
A pointer to memory that has been freed, and using it leads to undefined behaviour or crashes.
Two names may refer to the same object, so changing one changes the other, which surprises people who expected a copy.
Typical applications include passing a large sensor buffer to a function without copying it, building a linked data structure in memory and accidentally using a freed memory location and causing a crash.
Study "Memory management" first (topic 40 of 104 in Software & Computing). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
Pointer arithmetic. Null safety. Pass by pointer.
int *p=&x; *p=5; changes x via the pointer.
The next topic is "Concurrency and threads", which builds directly on this one.
It is classed as Intermediate in Software & Computing (topic 41 of 104). It is an intermediate topic. Work through the beginner topics in Software & Computing first.
Want to practise? Open the interactive course for quick checks, quizzes, simulations and progress tracking.