- C++ Basics
- C++ Home
- C++ Overview
- C++ Environment Setup
- C++ Basic Syntax
- C++ Comments
- C++ Data Types
- C++ Variable Types
- C++ Variable Scope
- C++ Constants/Literals
- C++ Modifier Types
- C++ Storage Classes
- C++ Operators
- C++ Loop Types
- C++ Decision Making
- C++ Functions
- C++ Numbers
- C++ Arrays
- C++ Strings
- C++ Pointers
- C++ References
- C++ Date & Time
- C++ Basic Input/Output
- C++ Data Structures
- C++ Object Oriented
- C++ Classes & Objects
- C++ Inheritance
- C++ Overloading
- C++ Polymorphism
- C++ Abstraction
- C++ Encapsulation
- C++ Interfaces
- C++ Advanced
- C++ Files and Streams
- C++ Exception Handling
- C++ Dynamic Memory
- C++ Namespaces
- C++ Templates
- C++ Preprocessor
- C++ Signal Handling
- C++ Multithreading
- C++ Web Programming
C++ Null Pointers
It is always a good practice to assign the pointer NULL to a pointer variable in case you do not have exact address to be assigned. This is done at the time of variable declaration. A pointer that is assigned NULL is called a null pointer.
The NULL pointer is a constant with a value of zero defined in several standard libraries, including iostream. Consider the following program −
#include <iostream> using namespace std; int main () { int *ptr = NULL; cout << "The value of ptr is " << ptr ; return 0; }
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following result −
The value of ptr is 0
On most of the operating systems, programs are not permitted to access memory at address 0 because that memory is reserved by the operating system. However, the memory address 0 has special significance; it signals that the pointer is not intended to point to an accessible memory location. But by convention, if a pointer contains the null (zero) value, it is assumed to point to nothing.
To check for a null pointer you can use an if statement as follows −
if(ptr) // succeeds if p is not null if(!ptr) // succeeds if p is null
Thus, if all unused pointers are given the null value and you avoid the use of a null pointer, you can avoid the accidental misuse of an uninitialized pointer. Many times, uninitialized variables hold some junk values and it becomes difficult to debug the program.
To Continue Learning Please Login
Login with Google