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What does "pointer" mean in programming?

pointer is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.

Definition

A variable that stores the memory address of another variable. Pointers are central to languages like C and C++. In higher-level languages, references serve a similar purpose without direct memory manipulation.

Example

"The null pointer exception means you are trying to access memory through a pointer that holds no address."

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