Using pointers to objects as function arguments

Question

I am currently working on a rudimentary simulator for the game Boggle, and right now I have gotten to the point where I need to use pointers to an object in a function call. However, I am unsure of how to do this, and thus far my search on this site and elsewhere has not proved fruitful, seeing as from what I have seen the questions have not been about pointers to objects. The following is my code for the function being called from a class, the initialization of the objects, and my attempted function calls. The setAdjacency function is found in the class boggleNode.

void setAdjacency(boggleNode * topleft = NULL, boggleNode * top = NULL,    boggleNode * topright = NULL, 
boggleNode * left = NULL, boggleNode * right = NULL, boggleNode *  botleft = NULL, boggleNode *  bot = NULL, boggleNode *  botright = NULL){
    adjacency[0] = topleft;
    adjacency[1] = top;
    adjacency[2] = topright;
    adjacency[3] = left;
    adjacency[4] = right;
    adjacency[5] = botleft;
    adjacency[6] = bot;
    adjacency[7] = botright;             //For keeping track of which nodes  are adjacent to which other ones. 
}

These are the private variables in boggleNode:

private:
boggleNode * adjacency[8];
char letter;
bool isUsed;

"Board" is defined as follows:

boggleNode * board = new boggleNode[16];

And finally, here is where I attempt to call the adjacency function in my main function:

board[0].setAdjacency(board[1], board[4], board[5]);

I am aware that currently the arguments in this function call are references, whereas they are supposed to be pointers in the function definition. How do I get the function call and the function definition to align properly?

I am aware that currently the arguments in this function call are references I don't see references in that call. You are passing boggleNode instances. Maybe you are getting confused with Java? — PaulMcKenzie
– PaulMcKenzie, Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 23:47

eerorika · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-14 23:46:25Z

1

The value of a pointer to object is the address of the object. To get the address of the object, you need to use the "addressof" operator: &

board[0].setAdjacency(&board[1], &board[4], &board[5]);

answered Aug 14, 2015 at 23:46

eerorika

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WhiteyMcFly · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-15 03:37:15Z

0

I got some help from a friend of mine, and I figured out the answer. I needed to use "addressof" operator plus extra parentheses (for instance, &(board[0]) ).

answered Aug 15, 2015 at 3:37

WhiteyMcFly

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