Programming Forums > Application Development > C++

amado · Dec 13th, 2004, 8:11 PM

I've known C for about a 2 years now and I've gotten pretty good at it, now I'm wanting to learn C++ and there is something that is not very clear to me. All of the code I've seen that passes a pointer to a class object to a function uses this format:

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class mClass { ... }

void foo(mClass& X);

In C, passing a structure would be like this:

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struct blah { ... }

void foo(blah *X);

What is the difference in passing object pointers or what does the operator "&" do? in C it means "address of" ? I'm kind of confused. :unsure:

ashgromnies · Dec 13th, 2004, 8:16 PM

The & means you are passing by reference... therefore the receiving function has absolute control over the memory location and can do whatever to it. * means address of the object it's pointing at.

amado · Dec 13th, 2004, 8:23 PM

Thanks! Now i understand. I've only seen & used with classes, so I should've figured it was goin to be something like that.

Dec 13th, 2004, 8:11 PM	#1
amado Newbie Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	I've known C for about a 2 years now and I've gotten pretty good at it, now I'm wanting to learn C++ and there is something that is not very clear to me. All of the code I've seen that passes a pointer to a class object to a function uses this format: (Toggle Plain Text) class mClass { ... } void foo(mClass& X); class mClass { ... } void foo(mClass& X); In C, passing a structure would be like this: (Toggle Plain Text) struct blah { ... } void foo(blah X); struct blah { ... } void foo(blah X); What is the difference in passing object pointers or what does the operator "&" do? in C it means "address of" ? I'm kind of confused. :unsure:

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Dec 13th, 2004, 8:16 PM	#2
ashgromnies Newbie Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	The & means you are passing by reference... therefore the receiving function has absolute control over the memory location and can do whatever to it. * means address of the object it's pointing at.

Dec 13th, 2004, 8:23 PM	#3
amado Newbie Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	Thanks! Now i understand. I've only seen & used with classes, so I should've figured it was goin to be something like that.

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Programming Forums > Application Development > C++

C++ Object Reference [solved]