Hochiminh City University of Technology
Computer Science and Engineering
[CO1027] - Fundamentals of C++ Programming
Array, Pointer, Structure Lecturer: Duc Dung Nguyen
Credits: 3
Outcomes
❖ Using array, and structure data types
❖ Using pointer
❖ Allocating and releasing dynamic memory
2
Today’s outline
❖ Structured data types
❖ Array
❖ Structure
❖ Pointer
❖ Dynamic memory
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Structured data types
Structured data types
❖ Can we implement a program with only basic data types?
❖ What do we need beside basic data types?
❖ A sequence of memory slots that contains a specific data type
❖ A mixture of different data types
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Array
Array
7
Declaring Arrays
❖ <type> arrayName [ arraySize ];
❖ E.g: int c[5];
0 1 2 3 4
c
int
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Initializing Arrays
❖ One by one
❖ E.g: c[4] = 10;
❖ Using a loop
❖ E.g: for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) c[i] = 0;
❖ Declaring with an initializer list
❖ E.g: int c[5] = { 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 };
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Accessing the values of an array
❖ The values of any of the elements in an array can be accessed just like the
value of a regular variable of the same type. The syntax is:
❖ name[index]
❖ Example:
int a = 2;
c[0] = a;
c[a] = 75;
b = c[a + 2];
c[c[a]] = c[2] + 5;
Example
#include<iostream>
#include<iomanip>
using namespace std;
int main() {
int c[10];
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) c[i] = 0;
cout << "Element" << setw(13) << "Value" << endl;
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
cout << setw(7) << i << setw(13) << c[i] << endl;
return 0;
}
Example
#include<iostream>
#include<iomanip>
using namespace std;
int main() {
int c[10] = { 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 };
cout << "Element" << setw(13) << "Value" << endl;
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
cout << setw(7) << i << setw(13) << c[i] << endl;
return 0;
}
Structure
Structure
❖ Structure is user defined data type which allows you to combine data items
of different kinds.
❖ Structures are used to represent a record.
Books
q Title
q Author
q Subject
q Book ID
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Defining a Structure
struct [structure tag] {
member definition;
member definition;
...
member definition;
}[structure variable(s)];
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Example
struct Books {
char title[50];
char author[50];
char subject[100];
int book_id;
};
struct Books book1;
The typedef Keyword
❖ “Aliasing” types defined by user using keyword typedef
typedef struct {
char title[50];
char author[50];
char subject[100];
int book_id;
} Books;
Books book1;
Accessing Structure Members
❖ Using the member access operator (.)
struct Books Book1; // Declare Book1 of type Book
// book 1 specification
strcpy_s(Book1.title, "Learn C++ Programming");
strcpy_s(Book1.author, "Chand Miyan");
strcpy_s(Book1.subject, "C++ Programming");
Book1.book_id = 6495407;
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_data_structures.htm
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Pointer
Pointer
❖ Pointer variables contain memory addresses as their values
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Declaring Pointers
❖ Direct way:
❖ <type> * <identifier>;
❖ E.g.: int * a;
❖ Using typedef keyword:
❖ typedef <type>* <alias_type>;
❖ E.g.:
typedef int * intPointer;
intPointer a;
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Using Pointers
❖ Defining a pointer variable
int var = 20; // actual variable declaration.
int *ip; // pointer variable
❖ Assigning the address of a variable to a pointer
ip = &var; // using address operator &
❖ Accessing the value at the address available in the pointer variable
cout << *ip << endl; // using dereferencing operator *
*ip = 5;
NULL Pointers
❖ Assigning the pointer NULL to a pointer variable in case you do not have
exact address to be assigned.
int *ptr = NULL;
❖ To check for a null pointer you can use an if statement as follows
if(ptr == NULL)
Or
if(!ptr)
Using const with Pointers
❖ Nonconstant Pointer to Nonconstant Data
❖ Nonconstant Pointer to Constant Data
❖ Constant Pointer to Nonconstant Data
❖ Constant Pointer to Constant Data
Using const with Pointers
❖ Nonconstant Pointer to Nonconstant Data
❖ the data can be modified through the dereferenced pointer
❖ the pointer can be modified to point to other data
int a = 5;
int b = 9;
int *ptr = &a;
*ptr = 6; // OK
ptr = &b; // OK
Using const with Pointers
❖ Nonconstant Pointer to Constant Data
❖ the data can NOT be modified through the dereferenced pointer
❖ the pointer can be modified to point to other data
const int a = 5;
int b = 9;
const int *ptr = &a;
*ptr = 6; // Error
ptr = &b; // OK
Using const with Pointers
❖ Constant Pointer to Nonconstant Data
❖ the data can be modified through the dereferenced pointer
❖ the pointer can NOT be modified to point to other data
int a = 5;
int b = 9;
int* const ptr = &a;
*ptr = 6; // OK
ptr = &b; // Error
Using const with Pointers
❖ Constant Pointer to Constant Data
❖ the data can NOT be modified through the dereferenced pointer
❖ the pointer can NOT be modified to point to other data
const int a = 5;
const int b = 9;
int* const ptr = &a;
*ptr = 6; // Error
ptr = &b; // Error
Pointer Arithmetic
❖ Four arithmetic operators that can be used on pointers: ++, --, +, and -
// point to the next location
ptr++;
ptr = ptr + 1;
// point to the previous location
ptr--;
ptr = ptr - 1;
Pointer
❖ Order of operators
❖ *p++ // *(p++)
❖ *++p // *(++p)
❖ ++*p // ++(*p)
❖ (*p)++ // increase value at location pointed by p
// (only valid with integer pointers)
When in doubt, use safe statement.
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Pointers vs Arrays
❖ Arrays and pointers are intimately related in C++ and may be used almost
interchangeably.
int var[MAX] = { 10, 100, 200 };
int *ptr;
// let us have array address in pointer.
ptr = var;
❖ However, an array name can be thought of as a constant pointer.
var++; // This is incorrect syntax.
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Example
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
const int MAX = 3;
int main() {
int var[MAX] = { 10, 100, 200 };
int *ptr;
// let us have array address in pointer.
ptr = var;
for (int i = 0; i < MAX; i++) {
cout << "Address of var[" << i << "] = " << ptr << endl;
cout << "Value of var[" << i << "] = " << *ptr << endl;
// point to the next location
ptr++;
}
return 0;
}
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_pointer_arithmatic.htm
Array of Pointers
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
const int MAX = 4;
int main() {
const char *names[MAX] = { "An Nguyen", "Binh Tran", "Cong Pham", "Dat Le" };
for (int i = 0; i < MAX; i++) {
cout << "Value of names[" << i << "] = " << *(names + i) << endl;
}
return 0;
}
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_array_of_pointers.htm
Pointer to Pointer
Pointer Pointer Variable
Address Address Value
int var = 300;
int *ptr = &var; // take the address of var
int **pptr = &ptr; // take the address of ptr
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_pointer_to_pointer.ht
m
Example
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
int var = 300;
int *ptr = &var; // take the address of var
int **pptr = &ptr; // take the address of ptr
// take the value using pptr
cout << "Value of var :" << var << endl;
cout << "Value available at *ptr :" << *ptr << endl;
cout << "Value available at **pptr :" << **pptr << endl;
return 0;
}
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_pointer_to_pointer.ht
m
References
❖ A reference variable is an alias, that is, another name for an already existing
variable.
int a = 10;
int& b = a;
❖ References are usually used for function argument lists and function return
values.
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_references.htm
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Example
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
int a = 10;
int& b = a;
cout << "Value of a :" << a << endl;
cout << "Value of a reference :" << b << endl;
a = 6;
cout << "Value of a :" << a << endl;
cout << "Value of a reference :" << b << endl;
}
Pointers vs References
❖ Three major differences between references and pointers:
q You cannot have NULL references. You must always be able to assume
that a reference is connected to a legitimate piece of storage.
q Once a reference is initialized to an object, it cannot be changed to refer to
another object.
q A reference must be initialized when it is created. Pointers can be
initialized at any time. Pointers can be pointed to another object at any
time.
Dynamic Merory
Allocating Dynamic Memory
❖ Dynamic memory is allocated using operator new. Here is the syntax:
q <pointer> = new <type>
q <pointer> = new <type> [<number_of_elements>]
❖ Examples:
q int * a = new int[5];
a[0] a[1] a[2] a[3] a[4]
a
int
Releasing Dynamic Memory
❖ Dynamic memory is released using operator delete. Here is the syntax:
q delete <pointer>
q delete [] <pointer>
❖ Examples:
q delete []a;
Summarise
❖ Structured data types
❖ Array
❖ Structure
❖ Pointer
❖ Dynamic memory
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