Using memory in C++

C++ uses the same syntax as C to declare pointer variables and assign them to memory addresses, and it has C-like pointer arithmetic. Like C, C++ also allows you to allocate memory on the stack, so there is automatic memory cleanup when the stack frame is destroyed, and dynamic allocation (on the C++ free store) where the programmer has the responsibility to release memory. This section will cover these concepts.

Using C++ pointer syntax

The syntax to access memory in C++ is straightforward. The & operator returns the address of an object. That object can be a variable, a built-in type or the instance of a custom type, or even a function (function pointers will be covered in the next chapter). The address is assigned a typed pointer variable or a void* pointer. A void* pointer should be treated as merely storage for the memory address because you cannot access data and you cannot perform pointer arithmetic (that is, manipulate the pointer value using arithmetic operators...