What are pointers?

 

In computer programming, a pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable or data item in the computer’s memory. Pointers are used to manipulate memory directly, and they are a powerful tool for creating complex data structures, implementing algorithms, and optimizing performance.

In essence, a pointer is a memory location that holds the address of another memory location. This can be useful when you need to access or modify data stored in a specific location in memory, especially when dealing with large amounts of data or complex data structures. By using pointers, you can access the data directly without having to copy it or move it around in memory.

To use a pointer, you first declare a variable of the appropriate type. This variable will hold the memory address of another variable or data item. You then assign the address of the other variable to the pointer variable. You can then use the pointer to access or modify the data stored at that memory location.

For example, if you have an integer variable called “num”, you can declare a pointer variable called “ptr” of type integer. You can then assign the address of “num” to “ptr” using the “&” operator, like this: