initializing pointers within functions in C/C++

[Special K]

I have some pointers that I set to NULL at the beginning of main(). They are later initialized to point to something meaningful within another function. The problem is, when I return to main(), they are still pointing to NULL. How can I make it so that my pointer assignments that I make in the function are preserved when the scope returns to main?

Here I have shown the function declaration and me trying to use it:

 

[Special K]

Well I ended up just making a pointer to the pointers I wanted to modify, and then dereferencing them within the function to modify the original ones. I guess that is OK?

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: Special K
Well I ended up just making a pointer to the pointers I wanted to modify, and then dereferencing them within the function to modify the original ones. I guess that is OK?

that's the proper way to do it, along with alternatives like using references (C++ only) or simply returning a pointer

 

[EagleKeeper]

Or cheat and make them globals or within a global class

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: dighn

Originally posted by: Special K
Well I ended up just making a pointer to the pointers I wanted to modify, and then dereferencing them within the function to modify the original ones. I guess that is OK?

that's the proper way to do it, along with alternatives like using references (C++ only) or simply returning a pointer

How do I pass an array of pointers (char**) by reference? What would my function prototype look like? Don't you use the apersand (&) to do it?

 

[dighn]

example: something like foo(char** &ptr){ptr = NULL;}
not 100% sure without compiling it