Understanding the '-->' Operator in C/C++: Explained

Introduction

In C/C++, the --> operator is used to access a member of a structure or a class using a pointer. This operator is also known as the arrow operator. It is a shorthand notation for dereferencing a pointer to access a member of the pointed-to structure or class. In this article, we will explain how the --> operator works in C/C++.

The Syntax of the '-->' Operator

The --> operator is used with a pointer to a structure or class. The syntax of the --> operator is as follows:

pointer_variable --> member_variable

Here, pointer_variable is a pointer to a structure or class, and member_variable is a member variable of the structure or class.

Working of the '-->' Operator

When the --> operator is used with a pointer to a structure or class, it first dereferences the pointer to get the structure or class object, and then accesses the member variable of the object. In other words, the --> operator can be thought of as a shorthand notation for the following:

(*pointer_variable).member_variable

Here, the * operator dereferences the pointer to get the structure or class object, and the . operator is used to access the member variable of the object.

Examples

Let's see some examples to understand the --> operator better:

// define a structure
struct example_struct {
    int x;
    int y;
};

// create a pointer to the structure
struct example_struct* ptr = new example_struct;

// assign values to the structure variables
ptr->x = 10;
ptr->y = 20;

// print the values of the structure variables
std::cout << "x = " << ptr->x << ", y = " << ptr->y << std::endl;

In this example, we define a structure called example_struct with two member variables x and y. We then create a pointer to the structure using the new operator. We assign values to the structure variables using the --> operator, and print the values of the variables using the std::cout statement.

Conclusion

The --> operator in C/C++ is a shorthand notation for dereferencing a pointer to access a member of a structure or class. It makes the code more concise and readable. It is important to understand how the --> operator works to use it effectively in your code.