Pointer-Array relationship

Given an array:

int anArray[10];

if the array identifier anArray is used as such, without any brackets following it, it returns the memory address of the first element of the array. E.g. the statement:

int *p = anArray;

declares a pointer p and assigns it the address of anArray[0]. Such a statement is equivalent to the following:

int *p = &anArray[0];

Since an array is a sequence of variables stored in adjacent memory locations, the array can be run through by incrementing a pointer to it. In the case just considered:

p++;

would make the pointer point to the second element of the array, i.e. p will contain &anArray[1].

Example


#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{   
     int anArray[10];
     int *p = anArray;
     for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++, p++)
     {
        *(p) = i;
        cout << "anArray[" << i << "] is: " 
             << anArray[i] << endl;
     }
}

Output

anArray[0] is: 0
anArray[1] is: 1
anArray[2] is: 2
anArray[3] is: 3
anArray[4] is: 4
anArray[5] is: 5
anArray[6] is: 6
anArray[7] is: 7
anArray[8] is: 8
anArray[9] is: 9

C++

Pointer-Array relationship

Example

Output