Pointers

A pointer is a special type of variable that stores the address of another variable in it.

A pointer variable points to the same data type and is created with the * operator. Then the address of another variable is stored in it.

std::string game = "Cricket";

// A pointer with the name ptr, that stores the address of game
std::string* ptr = &game;

std::cout << game << "\n";   // Output: Cricket
std::cout << &game << "\n";  // Output of game memory address: 0x6dfed4
std::cout << ptr << "\n";    // Output of pointer to game: 0x6dfed4

Dereferencing a pointer means getting the value that a pointer variable is pointing at.

The dereference operator * is used to get the value stored in the memory location pointed by the pointer:

std::string game = "Cricket";  // Variable declaration
std::string* ptr = &game;    // Pointer declaration

std::cout << *ptr << "\n"; // Output of value dereferenced from ptr: Cricket