Pointers explanation in C++

byMR

August 15, 2023

I am self learning C++ and I found my self on the Pointers section of C++.

To my understanding the pointer allocates the value of a variable to a memory.

But I came across on this problem which the answer is 588.

And I cannot figure out how this number came up.

Can someone please explain me step by step how 588 came up ?

Thanks in advance.


#include <iostream>

int main() {
    int *p, *q, *t;

    // Allocate memory and initialize pointers and values
    p = new int;
    q = new int;
    t = new int;
    *p = 17;
    *q = 7;
    *t = 42;

    p = t; // Make pointer p point to the same location as pointer t
    t = q; // Make pointer t point to the same location as pointer q

    *t = *p * *q;

    *q = *q + *t;

    std::cout << *t << std::endl;


    return 0;
}

>Solution :

You can easily get what is going on if you output all three pointers and theirs values after each change to them, or by using a debugger. This is what happens:

*p = 17;
*q = 7;
*t = 42;

// p points to an int with value 17
// q points to an int with value 7
// t points to an int with value 42

p = t; // Make pointer p point to the same location as pointer t

// p points to an int with value 42 (the same as t)
// q points to an int with value 7
// t points to an int with value 42 (the same as p)
    
t = q; // Make pointer t point to the same location as pointer q

// p points to an int with value 42 (now different than t)
// q points to an int with value 7 (the same as t)
// t points to an int with value 7 (the same as q)

*t = *p * *q;   // *t = (*p) * (*q) = 42 * 7 = 294

// p points to an int with value 42
// q points to an int with value 294 (still the same as t)
// t points to an int with value 294 (still the same as q)

*q = *q + *t;   // *q = (*q) + (*t) = 294 + 294 = 588

// p points to an int with value 42
// q points to an int with value 588 (still the same as t)
// t points to an int with value 588 (still the same as q)

std::cout << *t << std::endl;   // prints 588 (the same as q)

However note that something like p = t overwrites the address p was pointing to, therefore you cant free up the allocated memory anymore.