What does → mean in c++

The arrow operator (->) in C is used to access object members. It combines a pointer and a member name to access the member. It is equivalent to the dot operator (.), but Requires objects to be accessed through pointers.

Arrow operator (->) in C

Arrow operator (-> ;) is an operator in C that is used to access object members. It is a point-to-member access operator that combines a pointer with a member name to access the member.

Syntax:

<code class="cpp">objectPtr->memberName;</code>

Where:

• ##objectPtr is a pointer to the object.
• memberName is the member name of the object.

Working principle:

The arrow operator is basically equivalent to the dot operator (.), but it requires that the object must be accessed through a pointer. It accesses members by implicitly dereferencing the object pointer.

Example:

<code class="cpp">struct Point {
    int x;
    int y;
};

int main() {
    Point p;
    p.x = 10;

    // 使用点运算符访问成员
    std::cout << p.x << std::endl; // 输出 10

    // 使用箭头运算符访问成员
    Point *ptr = &p;
    std::cout << ptr->x << std::endl; // 输出 10
}</code>

Advantages:

• Clarity: Use arrow operators Make it clear that the object is being accessed through a pointer.
• Flexibility: Allows access to members through pointers, which is useful in certain situations, such as when objects are stored in arrays or lists.

Note:

Make sure the object pointer points to a valid object, otherwise the program will crash.
• If the object is not accessed through a pointer, the arrow operator cannot be used.

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