Chapter 5. Addresses and Pointer Types

A variable has a value. In Zig, a variable may also have an address.

8 items

Section	Title
1	Addresses and Pointer Types
2	Single-Item Pointers
3	Many-Item Pointers
4	Slices
5	Pointer Arithmetic
6	Alignment
7	Lifetimes
8	Exercises

Writes › Book › Learn › Learn Zig › Chapter 5. Addresses and Pointer Types ›

Addresses and Pointer Types

A variable has a value. In Zig, a variable may also have an address.

Writes › Book › Learn › Learn Zig › Chapter 5. Addresses and Pointer Types ›

Single-Item Pointers

A single-item pointer points to one value.

Writes › Book › Learn › Learn Zig › Chapter 5. Addresses and Pointer Types ›

Many-Item Pointers

A many-item pointer points to the first item in a sequence.

Writes › Book › Learn › Learn Zig › Chapter 5. Addresses and Pointer Types ›

Slices

A slice is a pointer and a length.

Writes › Book › Learn › Learn Zig › Chapter 5. Addresses and Pointer Types ›

Pointer Arithmetic

Pointer arithmetic means forming a new pointer by moving from one element to another.

Writes › Book › Learn › Learn Zig › Chapter 5. Addresses and Pointer Types ›

Alignment

Memory has addresses. Types also have alignment.

Writes › Book › Learn › Learn Zig › Chapter 5. Addresses and Pointer Types ›

Lifetimes

A pointer is useful only while the value it points to still exists.

Writes › Book › Learn › Learn Zig › Chapter 5. Addresses and Pointer Types ›

Exercises

1. Write a function increment that takes i32 and adds 1 to the pointed-to value.