In C++ I Cannot Grasp Pointers and Classes

Question

I\'m fresh out of college and have been working in C++ for some time now. I understand all the basics of C++ and use them, but I\'m having a hard time grasping more advance

Answer 1

Pointers and classes aren't really advanced topics in C++. They are pretty fundamental.

For me, pointers solidified when I started drawing boxes with arrows. Draw a box for an int. And int* is now a separate box with an arrow pointing to the int box.

So:

int foo = 3;           // integer
int* bar = &foo;       // assigns the address of foo to my pointer bar

With my pointer's box (bar) I have the choice of either looking at the address inside the box. (Which is the memory address of foo). Or I can manipulate whatever I have an address to. That manipulation means I'm following that arrow to the integer (foo).

*bar = 5;  // asterix means "dereference" (follow the arrow), foo is now 5
bar = 0;   // I just changed the address that bar points to

Classes are another topic entirely. There's some books on object oriented design, but I don't know good ones for beginners of the top of my head. You might have luck with an intro Java book.