this Pointer in C++
By: Jagan Printer Friendly Format
Every class member function has a hidden parameter: the this pointer. this points to the individual object. Therefore, in each call to GetAge() or SetAge(), the this pointer for the object is included as a hidden parameter.
It is possible to use the this pointer explicitly, as program below illustrates.
1: // 2: // Using the this pointer 3: 4: #include <iostream.h> 5: 6: class Rectangle 7: { 8: public: 9: Rectangle(); 10: ~Rectangle(); 11: void SetLength(int length) { this->itsLength = length; } 12: int GetLength() const { return this->itsLength; } 13: 14: void SetWidth(int width) { itsWidth = width; } 15: int GetWidth() const { return itsWidth; } 16: 17: private: 18: int itsLength; 19: int itsWidth; 20: }; 21: 22: Rectangle::Rectangle() 23: { 24: itsWidth = 5; 25: itsLength = 10; 26: } 27: Rectangle::~Rectangle() 28: {} 29: 30: int main() 31: { 32: Rectangle theRect; 33: cout << "theRect is " << theRect.GetLength() << " feet long.\n"; 34: cout << "theRect is " << theRect.GetWidth() << " feet wide.\n"; 35: theRect.SetLength(20); 36: theRect.SetWidth(10); 37: cout << "theRect is " << theRect.GetLength()<< " feet long.\n"; 38: cout << "theRect is " << theRect.GetWidth()<< " feet wide.\n"; 39: return 0; 40: } Output: theRect is 10 feet long. theRect is 5 feet wide. theRect is 20 feet long. theRect is 10 feet wide.
Analysis: The SetLength() and GetLength()
accessor functions explicitly use the this pointer to access the member
variables of the Rectangle object. The SetWidth and GetWidth
accessors do not. There is no difference in their behavior, although the syntax
is easier to understand.
If that were all there was to the this pointer, there would be little
point in bothering you with it. The this pointer, however, is a
pointer; it stores the memory address of an object. As such, it can be a
powerful tool.
You don't have to worry about creating or deleting the this pointer. The compiler takes care of that.
Comment on this tutorial
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Archived Comments
1. this is no doubt a simple program for the learner
View Tutorial By: shweta at 2008-07-12 01:18:59
2. Hi Shweta, Thanks for pointing the typo error in t
View Tutorial By: Jagan at 2008-07-12 21:36:46
3. it is very useful but if you give simple programs
View Tutorial By: krishnakumar at 2008-05-21 08:51:14
4. this pionter is used to help compiler to understan
View Tutorial By: RUB NAWAZ at 2008-10-31 11:38:09
5. hey i can write more simple example of this pointe
View Tutorial By: shruti at 2010-03-03 09:44:58
6. Hi Shruti, If you have better samples then feel fr
View Tutorial By: jagan at 2010-03-03 19:42:46
7. this helps a lot
View Tutorial By: Ashar at 2010-04-28 04:47:36
8. i can write much easy program than this its more c
View Tutorial By: nand kishor singh at 2010-08-10 12:24:22
9. Sir, this is very helpful for students and profess
View Tutorial By: Pankaj Choudhary at 2010-10-19 00:24:36
10. I think this code is just simple enough to be foll
View Tutorial By: WAQ at 2010-11-24 10:41:58
11. Very Easy To Understand
View Tutorial By: Najeeb at 2011-06-09 04:12:34
12. hi and thanks for this good example , i want ask i
View Tutorial By: Maryam at 2011-12-17 11:19:07
13. The example program was very easy to understand un
View Tutorial By: vijay at 2011-12-27 07:34:35
14. If the compiler takes care of this pointer implici
View Tutorial By: Bhanu Noah at 2012-03-15 16:20:05
15. Hey guys i've the simple one....
class this
View Tutorial By: Ajay Khowal at 2012-07-13 16:25:42