Question

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What is the arrow operator (->) synonym for in C++?

I just have a very basic question. Couldn’t search it on google… I don’t know what -> is and what it does in c++, for example:

render = Surface->Logic->Scale;

Answer 1

In C++ -> has 2 contexts:

1. With respect to pointers
2. With respect to objects

It dereferences the pointer, so basically it brings to memory location where the variable is stored at certain offset. Thus,

Surface->Logic->Scale;

is equivalent to,

(*Surface).Logic->Scale;  // same applies for 'Logic' too

With respect to object, you can mock this operator by overloading it as,

struct B { void foo(); };
struct A {
  B *p;
  B* operator -> () { return p; }
};

Usage will be,

A obj;
obj->foo();