Data Structures Using C++ 2E

Chapter 3
Pointers and Array-Based Lists
 Objectives

• Learn about the pointer data type and pointer

variables
• Explore how to declare and manipulate pointer
variables
• Learn about the address of operator and
dereferencing operator
• Discover dynamic variables
• Examine how to use the new and delete operators
to manipulate dynamic variables
• Learn about pointer arithmetic
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 Objectives (cont’d.)

• Discover dynamic arrays

• Explore how dynamic arrays are used to process
lists

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables
• Pointer data types
– Values are computer memory addresses
– No associated name
– Domain consists of addresses (memory locations)
• Pointer variable
– Contains an address (memory address)

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Declaring pointer variables
– Specify data type of value stored in the memory
location that pointer variable points to
– General syntax
dataType *identifier;
– Asterisk symbol (*)
• Between data type and variable name
• Can appear anywhere between the two
• Preference: attach * to variable name
– Examples: int *p; and char *ch;

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Address of operator (&)
– Unary operator
– Returns address of its operand
• Dereferencing operator (*)
– Unary operator
• Different from binary multiplication operator
– Also known as indirection operator
– Refers to object where the pointer points (operand of
the *)

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Pointers and classes
– Dot operator (.)
• Higher precedence than dereferencing operator (*)
– Member access operator arrow ( ->)
• Simplifies access of class or struct components via
a pointer
• Consists of two consecutive symbols: hyphen and
‘‘greater than’’ symbol
– Syntax
pointerVariableName -> classMemberName

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Initializing pointer variables
– No automatic variable initialization in C++
– Pointer variables must be initialized
• If not initialized, they do not point to anything
– Initialized using
• Constant value 0 (null pointer)
• Named constant NULL
– Number 0
• Only number directly assignable to a pointer variable

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Dynamic variables
– Variables created during program execution
• Real power of pointers
– Two operators
• new: creates dynamic variables
• delete: destroys dynamic variables
• Reserved words

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Operator new
– Allocates single variable
– Allocates array of variables
– Syntax
new dataType;
new dataType[intExp];
– Allocates memory (variable) of designated type
• Returns pointer to the memory (allocated memory
address)
• Allocated memory: uninitialized

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Operator delete
– Destroys dynamic variables
– Syntax
delete pointerVariable;
delete [ ] pointerVariable;
– Memory leak
• Memory space that cannot be reallocated
– Dangling pointers
• Pointer variables containing addresses of deallocated
memory spaces
• Avoid by setting deleted pointers to NULL after delete

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Operations on pointer variables
– Operations allowed
• Assignment, relational operations; some limited
arithmetic operations
• Can assign value of one pointer variable to another
pointer variable of the same type
• Can compare two pointer variables for equality
• Can add and subtract integer values from pointer
variable
– Danger
• Accidentally accessing other variables’ memory
locations and changing content without warning

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Dynamic arrays
– Static array limitation
• Fixed size
• Not possible for same array to process different data
sets of the same type
– Solution
• Declare array large enough to process a variety of data
sets
• Problem: potential memory waste
– Dynamic array solution
• Prompt for array size during program execution
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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Dynamic arrays (cont’d.)
– Dynamic array
• An array created during program execution
– Dynamic array creation
• Use new operator
– Example
p=new int[10];

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Array name: a constant pointer
– Array name value: constant
– Increment, decrement operations cannot be applied

FIGURE 3-14 list and array list

FIGURE 3-15 Array list after the execution

of the statements list[0] = 25; and list[2] = 78;

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Functions and pointers
– Pointer variable passed as parameter to a function
• By value or by reference
– Declaring a pointer as a value parameter in a function
heading
• Same mechanism used to declare a variable
– Making a formal parameter be a reference parameter
• Use & when declaring the formal parameter in the
function heading

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Functions and pointers (cont’d.)
– Declaring formal parameter as reference parameter
• Must use &
• Between data type name and identifier name, include *
to make identifier a pointer
• Between data type name and identifier name, include &
to make the identifier a reference parameter
• To make a pointer a reference parameter in a function
heading, * appears before & between data type name
and identifier

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Functions and pointers (cont’d.)
– Example

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Dynamic two-dimensional arrays
– Creation

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 The Pointer Data Type and Pointer
Variables (cont’d.)
• Dynamic two-dimensional arrays (cont’d.)
– Declare board to be a pointer to a pointer
int **board;
– Declare board to be an array of 10 rows and 15
columns
• To access board components, use array subscripting
notation

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 Array-Based Lists

• List
– Collection of elements of same type
• Length of a list
– Number of elements in the list
• Many operations may be performed on a list
• Store a list in the computer’s memory
– Using an array

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)
• Three variables needed to maintain and process a
list in an array
– The array holding the list elements
– A variable to store the length of the list
• Number of list elements currently in the array
– A variable to store array size
• Maximum number of elements that can be stored in the
array
• Desirable to develop generic code
– Used to implement any type of list in a program
– Make use of templates

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Define class implementing list as an abstract data

type (ADT)

FIGURE 3-29 UML class diagram

of the class arrayListType

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Definitions of functions isEmpty, isFull,

listSize and maxListSize

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Template print (outputs the elements of the list)

and template isItemAtEqual

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Template insertAt

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Template insertEnd and template removeAt

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)
• Template replaceAt and template clearList

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)
• Definition of the constructor and the destructor

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Copy constructor
– Called when object passed as a (value) parameter to
a function
– Called when object declared and initialized using the
value of another object of the same type
– Copies the data members of the actual object into the
corresponding data members of the formal parameter
and the object being created

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Copy constructor (cont’d.)

– Definition

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Overloading the assignment operator

– Definition of the function template

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)
• Searching for an element
– Linear search example: determining if 27 is in the list
– Definition of the function template

FIGURE 3-32 List of seven elements

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Inserting an element

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)

• Removing an element

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 Array-Based Lists (cont’d.)
TABLE 3-1 Time complexity of list operations

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 Summary
• Pointers contain memory addresses
– All pointers must be initialized
– Static and dynamic variables
– Several operators allowed
• Static and dynamic arrays
• Array-based lists
– Several operations allowed
– Use generic code

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