Hello, I'm studying C++ on my own and would appreciate some help.

In the following Program:-

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
const int sz = 100;

struct X { int a[sz]; };

void print(X* x) {
  for(int i = 0; i < sz; i++)
    cout << x->a[i] << ' ';
  cout << endl << "--------------------" << endl;
}

int main() {
  X x;
  print(&x);

  int* xp = reinterpret_cast<int*>(&x);

  for(int* i = xp; i < xp + sz; i++)
    *i = 0;

  print(reinterpret_cast<X*>(xp));

} ///:~


I don't understand this line:

****   print(reinterpret_cast<X*>(xp));  ****

why do you pass 'xp' into the cast but not '&xp'....?
Because earlier you need to pass the address of x into the cast:

****  int* xp = reinterpret_cast<int*>(&x);  ****

Please help me cos i've been thinking about this for so unnecessarily long.

Cheers, Tim.

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Tim Chan wrote in message <3bfbf514$1@news.povray.org>...
>Hello, I'm studying C++ on my own and would appreciate some help.


[program snipped]

>I don't understand this line:
>
>****   print(reinterpret_cast<X*>(xp));  ****
>
>why do you pass 'xp' into the cast but not '&xp'....?

xp is of type pointer to int, and you are converting it to the type pointer
to X.  &xp would be the address of xp, and would be of type pointer to
pointer to int.

>Because earlier you need to pass the address of x into the cast:
>
>****  int* xp = reinterpret_cast<int*>(&x);  ****


Here, x is of type X.  &x is the memory address of x, and is of type pointer
to X.  The reinterpret_cast converts that to type pointer to int.

--
Mark

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Tim Chan <tim### [at] blueyondercouk> wrote:
: #include <iostream>
: using namespace std;
: const int sz = 100;

: struct X { int a[sz]; };

: void print(X* x) {
:   for(int i = 0; i < sz; i++)
:     cout << x->a[i] << ' ';
:   cout << endl << "--------------------" << endl;
: }

: int main() {
:   X x;
:   print(&x);

:   int* xp = reinterpret_cast<int*>(&x);

:   for(int* i = xp; i < xp + sz; i++)
:     *i = 0;

:   print(reinterpret_cast<X*>(xp));

: } ///:~

  I know I'm replying to a rather old message, but this code looked so
horrible, that I must reply.
  Firstly I think that it breaks the standard. One cannot assume that
the member variables of a struct start right at the beginning of the
struct.
  Secondly, why not just:

int main() {
  X x;
  print(&x);

  for(int i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
    x.a[i] = 0;

  print(&x);
}

  It's a lot nicer, doesn't use hacks and doesn't break the standard.

-- 
#macro N(D)#if(D>99)cylinder{M()#local D=div(D,104);M().5,2pigment{rgb M()}}
N(D)#end#end#macro M()<mod(D,13)-6mod(div(D,13)8)-3,10>#end blob{
N(11117333955)N(4254934330)N(3900569407)N(7382340)N(3358)N(970)}//  - Warp -

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