What is the difference between reference type and pointers.

Question Posted / phani

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What is the difference between reference type and pointers...

Answer / manoj kumar kar

Difference 1>
Reference must point to valid objects at the time of
declaration where pointer need not point to valid objects
at the time of declaration means
int nvalue=5;
int &rnvalue; //This is invalid.
int &rnvalue=nvalue; //This is valid.

But
int *rnvalue; //This is valid.
rnvalue=&nvalue;
Difference 2>
Pointer is a variable which holds the address of another
variable.
But Reference is another name of the same variable.

Is This Answer Correct ?

18 Yes

1 No

What is the difference between reference type and pointers...

Answer / k govind

In addition to the previous answer given in Answer #1,
namely References must point to valid objects at the time
of declaration, references also has the following
limitation.

Once a reference is assigned, there's no way you can modify
the reference. However for a pointer type, variable
assignment is legal.

e.g.,

int i, j;

int *pi, *pj;

pi = &i; // pointer to i
pj = &j; // pointer to j

int &k = i; // reference to i

pi = pj; // pi no longer points to i, instead
// it is now pointing to j
k = j; // The reference k is still with i, it is only
// the value of i that is now modified. i is
// assigned the value of j

Is This Answer Correct ?

3 Yes

0 No

What is the difference between reference type and pointers...

Answer / p.madhupriya

pointer is a variable that points to address of another
variable .
reference is variable that points to address of that
variable only.

Is This Answer Correct ?

2 Yes

0 No

What is the difference between reference type and pointers...

Answer / snigdhadeb

REFERENCE:-
#include<iostream.h>

int main()
{
int a=3;
/*A reference variable must be initialized at the time
of it's declaration*/

int &ra=a;
int y=6;
/*int &ry;
ry=y; // not allowed */

int &ry=y;
/* It should be noted that a reference variable dose not
creat a copy so it dose not takes any additional memory
space. Thus memory space is conserved*/

/* It has notational clearness*/

int z=ra * ry;
/* To access the value of a variable thought it's
reference no additional symbol is required, i.e.
dereference is not required*/

return 0;
}

POINTER:-

include<iostream.h>

int main()
{
int a=3;
/* A pointer variable may be declared without
initialization*/

int *pt;
/* A pointer variable may be intialized later on*/

pa=&a;
/* Also a pointer variable may be intialized at the time
of int's declaration*/

int b=5;
int *pb=&b;
/* It is also observed that each pointer variable
required it's own storage, so memory is not conserved*/

/* it's dose not have notational clearness*/

int c=*pa * *pb;
/* Access the value of a variable through it's pointer
requires value at (*) symbol, i.e. dereference is required*/

return 0;
}