CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++pointers
James
James

Reputation: 97

passing values to pointers

I am very confused by using pointers. In the code below, if I set currentYear = 2010, I expect the value of 2010 to be assigned to initYear. But when I debug it, in the first line of the code, inityear = 2009. In the last line of the code, initYear also equals 2009, and currentYear = 2010.

Anyone can explain why this happens, and how I can make initYear to be 2010 when currentYear is 2010? Thanks.

Here is the code:

 int initYear = pEnvContext->currentYear;
      for ( int i=0; i < m_numberOfRuns; i++ )
         {  
         UpdateMonteCarloInput(pEnvContext,i);
         pEnvContext->run=i; 
         pEnvContext->currentYear=initYear;

Upvotes: 0

Views: 64

Answers (2)

Danvil
Danvil

Reputation: 23031

Use a reference:

int& initYear = pEnvContext->currentYear;

Now initYear is basically another way to access the value of currentYear. See here to learn more about references.

Upvotes: 2

ebasconp
ebasconp

Reputation: 1648

This line:

int initYear = pEnvContext->currentYear;

copies the value stored in pEnvContext->currentYear to the initYear variable; so, no matter what will happen with currentYear, initYear contains its own copy.

If you want to have a reference to the currentYear and you want it to be updated when the currentYear is updated, use a reference (as Danvil stated before).

Upvotes: 0

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