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From: shawn@pnet51.cts.com (Shawn Stanley)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: using references vrs. pointers
Message-ID: <583@orbit.UUCP>
Date: 27 Jan 89 16:33:04 GMT
Sender: root@orbit.UUCP
Organization: People-Net [pnet51], Minneapolis, MN.
Lines: 31

dog@vilya.UUCP (SCHIEBEL) writes:
>A comment was made at the C++ conference in Denver last year that an
>object oriented program should not use memory pointers.  The rationale
>being that we should be dealing with objects and not be distracted by
>the implementation of the objects, including the fact that they exist
>at some location in a computer's memory.  Sounds reasonable to me.
>
>Thus, I would like to get away from memory pointers in my C++ programs and
>make greater use of references.  However, I seem to have no way of initializing
>a reference to refer to nothing, or testing if it refers to nothing (akin
>to a pointer to NULL).
>
>Maybe if I am going to create objects on the free store with new, I might as
>well resign myself to dealing with pointers.  I don't know.  Any comments?

I think the ability to use memory pointers is quite important.  For instance,
C itself allows you to get closer to the machine -- work on device drivers,
things like that, without having to add the ability to the compiler itself. 
The user-driven library is a great advantage.

In C++, you should be able to create device "objects" that can be re-used by
anyone.  Or, an object that has the ability to change the EGA graphics mode,
by port-twiddling and such.  Without direct access to memory, many
device-oriented objects would have to be built into the language itself, which
puts the entire burden on the compiler author.  I think it is more important
that developers have the ability to write their own device-oriented objects
(and related objects), and thus there becomes a wealth of objects from
third-parties to control whatever you have a mind to plug into your machine...

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