Pointer to array confusion

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C++

//when 
int *p; 
int array[5]; 
p = array;     
//what does p = array do? 
//and 
for(int i = 0; i<5; i++){
cin>>*p; 
*p++;
} 
//whats does *p++do and why is it being used

What I have tried:

tried stack overflow but didnt help

Posted 9-Dec-16 9:12am

Member 12896513

Updated 9-Dec-16 22:10pm

PIEBALDconsult

v2

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4 solutions

Solution 1

int *p; 
int array[5]; 
p = array;

The specification says that the name of an array is a pointer to the first element, so when you assign that name to a variable you are setting the variable to point to the first element of the array: is the equivalent of saying:

int *p; 
int array[5]; 
p = &(array[0]);

Posted 9-Dec-16 10:02am

OriginalGriff

Solution 4

See Array Declarations[^] and Pointer Declarations[^] and all other sections.

Posted 9-Dec-16 22:10pm

Richard MacCutchan

Solution 3

When you learn a language, the debugger is an excellent tool to help you learn it because, thanks to the debugger you see things happen in your code.
Use the debugger to see what your code is doing. It allow you to execute lines 1 by 1 and to inspect variables as it execute.

Debugger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[^]
Mastering Debugging in Visual Studio 2010 - A Beginner's Guide[^]

The debugger is here to show you what your code is doing and your task is to compare with what it should do.
There is no magic in the debugger, it don't find bugs, it just help you to. When the code don't do what is expected, you are close to a bug.

-----
Here is links to references books on C and C++ by the authors of the languages. Note than C is the ancestor of C++, so knowing C is always useful with C++.
The C Programming Language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[^]
https://hassanolity.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/the_c_programming_language_2.pdf[^]
http://www.ime.usp.br/~pf/Kernighan-Ritchie/C-Programming-Ebook.pdf[^]

C++ Programing Language[^]

Posted 9-Dec-16 12:33pm

Patrice T

Updated 9-Dec-16 12:35pm

v2

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CPallini · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-09T10:31:00

Quote:
p = array;

this is the same of

C++

p = &array[0];

that is: make p point to the first item of the array.

Quote:
*p++;

THis is equivalent to

C++

*p; 
p = p + 1;

The first statement returns the value of the item currently pointed by p. Anyway such value is unused.
The second statement increments p.