âšī¸ Skipped - page is already crawled
| Filter | Status | Condition | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTTP status | PASS | download_http_code = 200 | HTTP 200 |
| Age cutoff | PASS | download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH | 2.1 months ago |
| History drop | PASS | isNull(history_drop_reason) | No drop reason |
| Spam/ban | PASS | fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0 | ml_spam_score=0 |
| Canonical | PASS | meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed | Not set |
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| URL | https://www.scaler.com/topics/arrow-operator-in-cpp/ |
| Last Crawled | 2026-02-18 17:00:04 (2 months ago) |
| First Indexed | 2022-11-21 18:00:16 (3 years ago) |
| HTTP Status Code | 200 |
| Content | |
| Meta Title | What is the Use of Arrow Operator -> in C++? - Scaler Topics |
| Meta Description | Learn about the use of the arrow operator in C++ with scaler topics. |
| Meta Canonical | null |
| Boilerpipe Text | Before learning about the
Arrow Operator ->
in C++, let's learn about the basics of Operators in C++.
An
operator
is a symbol that is used to give instructions to the compiler to perform a particular operation on given operands. Each operator has its pre-defined operation. Operators are the basic building blocks of any programming language. There are different kinds of operators in C++, such as Assignment Operators, Arithmetic Operators, Relational Operators, Logical Operators, Bitwise Operators, and many others operators.
Now, let's understand what is -> in C++ (Arrow Operator).
Arrow operator
(
->
) in C++ also known as Class Member Access Operator is a combination of two different operators that is Minus operator (
-
) and greater than operator (
>
). It is used to access the public members of a
class
,
structure
, or members of
union
with the help of a pointer variable.
There is a
.(dot)
operator in C++ that is also used to access the members of a class. But
.
(dot operator) accesses the member or variable directly means without using the pointers whereas instead of accessing members directly the arrow operator(
->
) in C++ uses a pointer to access them. So the advantage of the
->
operator is that it can deal with both pointer and non-pointer access but the dot(
.
) operator can only be used to access the members of a class.
Arrow (
->
) operator in C++ represents the same meaning which is done by the (
*
) asterisk operator and dot(
.
) operator. Arrow operator can be written in a different way which is using the combination of two operators
*.
. For example,
(*s).element
is the same as
s->element
.
The brackets (parenthesis) used while using the combination of (
*.
) operators show that the precedence of the dot(
.
) operator is more than
*
.
Let's understand the use of the Arrow operator
->
in C++ using some practical programming examples.
Syntax
Let's first take a look at the syntax for using the arrow operator in C++ for accessing the members of a class, structure, etc.
Here, we have used the arrow operator to access the class member variable represented by
class_member_name
through the object pointer which is represented by pointer.
Explanation
Let's implement a simple program to explain and demonstrate the use of the
->
operator in C++.
In the below example, we have declared a
structure
Person which contains two member variables. The first one is the name variable which is a character array that stores the name of the Person and the other one is the age variable which is of integer type.
Code
Output
Explanation
In the above example, after creating classes and objects we have called the
main()
method.
In the
main()
method, we have created an object info of structure type that is Person type. Then we used the arrow operator (
->
) to assign the
17
value to the member variable age. After assigning the value to the member, we then used the arrow operator (
->
) to access the member and print its value as we can see in the output.
Examples of Arrow Operators -> in C++
We will implement several examples of the usage of the
->
operator in C++ to understand about the arrow operator in more depth.
Example 1
In this example, we will demonstrate the usage of the arrow operator
->
in C++ with classes. Here, member functions of the class are accessed by the pointer object using the
->
operator.
Code
Output
Explanation
In the above example, we have first created a Student class that contains some private variables and public functions. The first function which is
percentage
calculates the total percentage by using the marks stored in the
total_marks
variable. Now, as we can see the
total_marks
variable is
private
so we can use the
this
keyword to refer to the private variable. Now for referring to the current object's private variable, the
this
keyword uses the arrow operator.
Example 2
In this example, we will demonstrate the usage of the arrow operator
->
in C++ with
unions
. Here, member variables of the union are accessed by the pointer object using the
->
operator.
Code
Output
Explanation
In this example, we created a union called
Student
with some variables. In the main function, the object of the union student is created and initialized with a
NULL
value. Here, we have dynamically allocated memory to the created union object. Since the object contains two variables we can refer to those variables using the arrow operator. So we have used the object name along with the arrow operator to refer to the desired union variable.
Example 3
In this example, we will demonstrate the usage of the arrow operator
->
in C++ with
struct
. Here, member variables of the structure are accessed by the pointer object using the
->
operator.
Code
Output
Explanation
In this example, we have created a structure called
Employee
having a variable
name
. In the main function, we have the object of the student structure and initialized them with the
NULL
value. Now, we have dynamically allocated the memory to the union object. Since the object contains one variable we can refer to that variable using the arrow operator. So we have used the object name along with the arrow operator to refer to the desired struct variable.
Asterisk and Dot Operator Instead of Arrow Operator
Let's see an example to understand the usage of the arrow operator and combination of (
*
) and (
.
) operators which is a kind of similar way to access the members of a class.
Example
Code
Output
Explanation
In this example, we have created a class called
Combi
has a variable and member functions. In the main function, we have created the object of the
Combi
class. Now, we have dynamically allocated the memory to the object
s
using the new keyword. Since we have used the new keyword the object is created and a reference to the object(pointer) is returned. We can either use the arrow operator or the Asterisk(
*
) and dot(
.
) operator to refer to the data members and member functions.
Here, first the
*s
is resolved and then the dot operator will help us to locate the actual data member and member functions.
Now, we will use the arrow operator to implement the same program. This will also give the same output.
Code
Output
Explanation
In this example, we have created a class called
Combi
that has a variable and member functions. In the main function, we have created the object of the
Combi
class. Now, we have dynamically allocated the memory to the object
s
using the new keyword. Since we have used the new keyword the object is created and a reference to the object(pointer) is returned.
Here, we have used the arrow operator to refer to the desired class variable or member function.
Different Operators in C++
Operators
are the basic building block of any programming language. An operator is a symbol that will be operated on a variable or a constant value. They are used to give instructions to the compiler to perform a particular operation. Each operator has its pre-defined operation.
There exists a different kinds of operators in C++ which are listed below:
C++ Arithmetic Operators
Arithmetic operators are used to perform arithmetic operations on the operands. These operators include
+
(addition),
-
(Subtraction),
*
(Multiplication),
%
(Modulo), and
/
(Division).
C++ Relational Operators
Relational Operators are used to compare the values of two operands. These operators include
==
(Is Equal To),
!=
(Not Equal To),
>
(Greater Than),
<
(Less Than),
>=
(Greater Than or Equal To),
<=
(Less Than or Equal To).
C++ Logical Operators
Logical Operators are used to find whether an expression is true or not. These operators include
&&
(Logical AND),
||
(Logical OR), and
!
(Logical NOT).
C++ Bitwise Operators
Bitwise operators are used to performing operations on integers at the bit level. These operators include
&
(Bitwise AND),
|
(Bitwise OR),
^
(Bitwise XOR),
~
(Bitwise NOT),
<<
(Bitwise Shift Left),
>>
(Bitwise Shift Right).
C++ Assignment Operators
Assignment operators are used for assigning values to a variable. These operators include
=
,
+=
,
-=
,
*=
,
/=
,
%=
.
and other operators.
To learn more about
Operators in C++
, refer to the article
Operators in C++
Conclusion
An
operator
is a symbol that is used to give instructions to the compiler to perform a particular operation on operands.
Arrow operator
(
->
) in C++ also known as Class Member Access Operator is a combination of two different operators that is
Minus operator (-)
and
greater than operator (>)
.
It is used to access the members of a
class
,
structure
, or members of
union
with the help of a pointer variable.
There is a
.(dot)
operator in C++ that is also used to access the members of a class.
. (dot operator)
accesses the member or variable directly Whereas instead of accessing the members directly the arrow operator(
->
) in C++ uses a pointer to access them.
Arrow (
->
) operator in C++ represents the same meaning which is done by the (
*
) asterisk operator and dot(
.
) operator.
The combination of (
*
) and the (
.
) operator can also be used to access the members of a class similarly. |
| Markdown | [Experience]()
[](https://www.scaler.com/?utm_source=topics)
[Academy](https://www.scaler.com/academy/?utm_source=topics)
[Data Science](https://www.scaler.com/data-science-course/?utm_source=topics)
[AI/ML](https://www.scaler.com/ai-machine-learning-course/?utm_source=topics)
[DevOps](https://www.scaler.com/devops-course/?utm_source=topics)
[Neovarsity](https://www.scaler.com/neovarsity/?utm_source=topics)
[](https://www.scaler.com/topics/)
[Topics]()
[Explore]()
[New Skill Test]()
[Courses]()
[Free Masterclass](https://www.scaler.com/topics/events/)
Search for Articles, Topics
[Experience]()
[Experience Scaler]()
What is the Use of Arrow Operator -\> in C++?
What is the Use of Arrow Operator -\> in C++?
[C++ Cheatsheet]()
# What is the Use of Arrow Operator -\> in C++?
By Mohit Sahay
6 mins read
Last updated: 23 Apr 2024
335 views
Learn via video course
FREE
[View all courses](https://www.scaler.com/topics/courses/)
C++ Course: Learn the Essentials
by Prateek Narang
1000
5
[Start Learning](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/cpp-beginners/)
[Start Learning](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/cpp-beginners/)
[View all courses](https://www.scaler.com/topics/courses/)
C++ Course: Learn the Essentials
by Prateek Narang
1000
5
[Start Learning](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/cpp-beginners/)
[Topics Covered]()
Before learning about the **Arrow Operator -\>** in C++, let's learn about the basics of Operators in C++.
An **operator** is a symbol that is used to give instructions to the compiler to perform a particular operation on given operands. Each operator has its pre-defined operation. Operators are the basic building blocks of any programming language. There are different kinds of operators in C++, such as Assignment Operators, Arithmetic Operators, Relational Operators, Logical Operators, Bitwise Operators, and many others operators.
Now, let's understand what is -\> in C++ (Arrow Operator).
**Arrow operator** (\-\>) in C++ also known as Class Member Access Operator is a combination of two different operators that is Minus operator (\-) and greater than operator (\>). It is used to access the public members of a **class**, **structure**, or members of **union** with the help of a pointer variable.
There is a .(dot) operator in C++ that is also used to access the members of a class. But .(dot operator) accesses the member or variable directly means without using the pointers whereas instead of accessing members directly the arrow operator(\-\>) in C++ uses a pointer to access them. So the advantage of the \-\> operator is that it can deal with both pointer and non-pointer access but the dot(.) operator can only be used to access the members of a class.
Arrow (\-\>) operator in C++ represents the same meaning which is done by the (\*) asterisk operator and dot(.) operator. Arrow operator can be written in a different way which is using the combination of two operators \*.. For example, (\*s).element is the same as s-\>element. The brackets (parenthesis) used while using the combination of (\*.) operators show that the precedence of the dot(.) operator is more than \*.
Let's understand the use of the Arrow operator \-\> in C++ using some practical programming examples.
### Syntax
Let's first take a look at the syntax for using the arrow operator in C++ for accessing the members of a class, structure, etc.
```
```
Here, we have used the arrow operator to access the class member variable represented by class\_member\_name through the object pointer which is represented by pointer.
### Explanation
Let's implement a simple program to explain and demonstrate the use of the \-\> operator in C++. In the below example, we have declared a **structure** Person which contains two member variables. The first one is the name variable which is a character array that stores the name of the Person and the other one is the age variable which is of integer type.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In the above example, after creating classes and objects we have called the main() method. In the main() method, we have created an object info of structure type that is Person type. Then we used the arrow operator (\-\>) to assign the 17 value to the member variable age. After assigning the value to the member, we then used the arrow operator (\-\>) to access the member and print its value as we can see in the output.
## Examples of Arrow Operators -\> in C++
We will implement several examples of the usage of the \-\> operator in C++ to understand about the arrow operator in more depth.
### Example 1
In this example, we will demonstrate the usage of the arrow operator \-\> in C++ with classes. Here, member functions of the class are accessed by the pointer object using the \-\> operator.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In the above example, we have first created a Student class that contains some private variables and public functions. The first function which is percentage calculates the total percentage by using the marks stored in the total\_marks variable. Now, as we can see the total\_marks variable is **private** so we can use the this keyword to refer to the private variable. Now for referring to the current object's private variable, the this keyword uses the arrow operator.
### Example 2
In this example, we will demonstrate the usage of the arrow operator \-\> in C++ with **unions**. Here, member variables of the union are accessed by the pointer object using the \-\> operator.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In this example, we created a union called Studentwith some variables. In the main function, the object of the union student is created and initialized with a NULL value. Here, we have dynamically allocated memory to the created union object. Since the object contains two variables we can refer to those variables using the arrow operator. So we have used the object name along with the arrow operator to refer to the desired union variable.
### Example 3
In this example, we will demonstrate the usage of the arrow operator \-\> in C++ with **struct**. Here, member variables of the structure are accessed by the pointer object using the \-\> operator.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In this example, we have created a structure called Employee having a variable name. In the main function, we have the object of the student structure and initialized them with the NULL value. Now, we have dynamically allocated the memory to the union object. Since the object contains one variable we can refer to that variable using the arrow operator. So we have used the object name along with the arrow operator to refer to the desired struct variable.
## Asterisk and Dot Operator Instead of Arrow Operator
Let's see an example to understand the usage of the arrow operator and combination of (\*) and (.) operators which is a kind of similar way to access the members of a class.
### Example
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In this example, we have created a class called Combihas a variable and member functions. In the main function, we have created the object of the Combi class. Now, we have dynamically allocated the memory to the object s using the new keyword. Since we have used the new keyword the object is created and a reference to the object(pointer) is returned. We can either use the arrow operator or the Asterisk(\*) and dot(.) operator to refer to the data members and member functions. Here, first the \*s is resolved and then the dot operator will help us to locate the actual data member and member functions.
Now, we will use the arrow operator to implement the same program. This will also give the same output.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In this example, we have created a class called Combi that has a variable and member functions. In the main function, we have created the object of the Combi class. Now, we have dynamically allocated the memory to the object s using the new keyword. Since we have used the new keyword the object is created and a reference to the object(pointer) is returned. Here, we have used the arrow operator to refer to the desired class variable or member function.
## Different Operators in C++
**Operators** are the basic building block of any programming language. An operator is a symbol that will be operated on a variable or a constant value. They are used to give instructions to the compiler to perform a particular operation. Each operator has its pre-defined operation.
There exists a different kinds of operators in C++ which are listed below:
- C++ Arithmetic Operators
- Arithmetic operators are used to perform arithmetic operations on the operands. These operators include \+ (addition), \- (Subtraction), \* (Multiplication), % (Modulo), and / (Division).
- C++ Relational Operators
- Relational Operators are used to compare the values of two operands. These operators include \== (Is Equal To), != (Not Equal To), \> (Greater Than), \< (Less Than), \>= (Greater Than or Equal To), \<= (Less Than or Equal To).
- C++ Logical Operators
- Logical Operators are used to find whether an expression is true or not. These operators include && (Logical AND), \|\| (Logical OR), and \! (Logical NOT).
- C++ Bitwise Operators
- Bitwise operators are used to performing operations on integers at the bit level. These operators include & (Bitwise AND), \| (Bitwise OR), ^ (Bitwise XOR), ~ (Bitwise NOT), \<\< (Bitwise Shift Left), \>\> (Bitwise Shift Right).
- C++ Assignment Operators
- Assignment operators are used for assigning values to a variable. These operators include \=, \+=, \-=, \*=, /=, %=.
- and other operators.
To learn more about **Operators in C++**, refer to the article [Operators in C++](https://www.scaler.com/topics/cpp/operators-in-cpp/)
## Conclusion
- An **operator** is a symbol that is used to give instructions to the compiler to perform a particular operation on operands.
- **Arrow operator** (\-\>) in C++ also known as Class Member Access Operator is a combination of two different operators that is Minus operator (-) and greater than operator (\>).
- It is used to access the members of a **class**, **structure**, or members of **union** with the help of a pointer variable.
- There is a **.(dot)** operator in C++ that is also used to access the members of a class.
- . (dot operator) accesses the member or variable directly Whereas instead of accessing the members directly the arrow operator(\-\>) in C++ uses a pointer to access them.
- Arrow (\-\>) operator in C++ represents the same meaning which is done by the (\*) asterisk operator and dot(.) operator.
- The combination of (\*) and the (.) operator can also be used to access the members of a class similarly.
Got suggestions? [We would love to hear your feedback.]()
Your feedback is important to help us improve
[Close]()
[Submit]()
[](https://www.scaler.com/topics/)
A Free learning platform
made with  by [](https://www.scaler.com/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
[](https://www.instagram.com/scaler_official/)
[](https://www.youtube.com/c/SCALER)
[](https://twitter.com/scaler_official)
[](https://www.facebook.com/scalerofficial)
[](https://www.linkedin.com/school/scalerofficial/mycompany/)
[](https://discord.com/invite/gD2ZTC5j8K)
Explore Scaler
- [Academy](https://www.scaler.com/academy/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
- [Data Science & ML](https://www.scaler.com/data-science-course/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
- [AI and Machine Learning](https://www.scaler.com/ai-machine-learning-course/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
- [DevOps and Cloud Computing](https://www.scaler.com/devops-course/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
- [Neovarsity](https://www.scaler.com/neovarsity/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
Explore Topics
- [Free Online Courses](https://www.scaler.com/topics/courses/)
- [Challenges](https://www.scaler.com/topics/challenges/)
- [Contest](https://www.scaler.com/topics/contests/)
- [Topics](https://www.scaler.com/topics/hubs/)
- [Articles](https://www.scaler.com/topics/articles/)
- [Events](https://www.scaler.com/topics/events/)
Resources
- [About Us](https://www.scaler.com/about/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
- [Blog](https://www.scaler.com/blog/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
- [Careers](https://www.scaler.com/careers/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
- [Review](https://www.scaler.com/review/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
Download the
app\!
Get all scaler resources under one roof\!
4\.4
1\.71 K Reviews
100K+
Downloads
[](https://app.scaler.com/XBSh)
[](https://app.scaler.com/Yhwr)
Popular Free Certification Courses
[Java Course for Beginners](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/java-beginners/ "Free Java Course Online")
[C++ Course with Certificate](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/cpp-beginners/ "Free C++ Course Online")
[Python Course for Beginners](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/python-for-beginners/ "Free Python Course Online")
[Javascript Free Course for Beginners](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/javascript-beginners/ "Free Javascript Course Online")
[Data Science Course for Beginners](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/python-for-data-science/ "Free Data Science Course Online")
[DBMS Course](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/dbms/ "Free DBMS Course Online")
[Python and SQL for Data Science Course](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/python-sql-data-science/ "Free Python for Data Science Course Online")
[DSA Problem Solving for Interviews](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/dsa-interviews-java/ "Free DSA Java Interview Questions Online")
[Instagram System Design Course](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/instagram-system-design/ "Free Instagram Design Course Online")
[Dynamic Programming Course](https://www.scaler.com/topics/course/dynamic-programming/ "Free Dynamic Programming Course Online")
[All Free Online Courses](https://www.scaler.com/topics/courses/ "All Free Online Courses")
Popular Tutorials
[Python Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/python/ "Python Tutorial Online")
[Java Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/java/ "Java Tutorial Online")
[DBMS Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/dbms/ "DBMS Tutorial Online")
[Javascript Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/javascript/ "Javascript Tutorial Online")
[C++ Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/cpp/ "C++ Tutorial Online")
[SQL Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/sql/ "SQL Tutorial Online")
[Software Engineering Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/software-engineering/ "Software Engineering Tutorial Online")
[Data Science Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/data-science/ "Data Science Tutorial Online")
[Pandas Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/pandas/ "Pandas Tutorial Online")
[Deep Learning Tutorial](https://www.scaler.com/topics/deep-learning/ "Deep Learning Tutorial Online")
[All Tutorials](https://www.scaler.com/topics/hubs/ "All Tutorials")
Compilers
[Python Compiler](https://www.scaler.com/topics/python/online-python-compiler/ "Python Compiler Online")
[Java Compiler](https://www.scaler.com/topics/java/online-java-compiler/ "Java Compiler Online")
[Javascript Compiler](https://www.scaler.com/topics/javascript/online-javascript-compiler/ "Javascript Compiler Online")
[C Compiler](https://www.scaler.com/topics/c/online-c-compiler/ "C Compiler Online")
[C++ Compiler](https://www.scaler.com/topics/cpp/online-cpp-compiler/ "C++ Compiler Online")
Tools
[Json Validator](https://www.scaler.com/topics/javascript/json-validator/ "Json Validator Online")
[SQL Formatter](https://www.scaler.com/topics/sql/sql-formatter/ "SQL Formatter Online")
[XML Formatter](https://www.scaler.com/topics/tools/xml-formatter/ "XML Formatter Online")
[CSS Formatter](https://www.scaler.com/topics/css/css-formatter/ "CSS Formatter Online")
[JavaScript Formatter](https://www.scaler.com/topics/javascript/javascript-formatter/ "JavaScript Formatter Online")
Copyright 2026 InterviewBit Technologies Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
[Privacy Policy](https://www.scaler.com/privacy/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
[Terms of Use](https://www.scaler.com/terms/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer)
[Contact Us](https://www.scaler.com/contact/?utm_source=topics&utm_medium=footer) |
| Readable Markdown | Before learning about the **Arrow Operator -\>** in C++, let's learn about the basics of Operators in C++.
An **operator** is a symbol that is used to give instructions to the compiler to perform a particular operation on given operands. Each operator has its pre-defined operation. Operators are the basic building blocks of any programming language. There are different kinds of operators in C++, such as Assignment Operators, Arithmetic Operators, Relational Operators, Logical Operators, Bitwise Operators, and many others operators.
Now, let's understand what is -\> in C++ (Arrow Operator).
**Arrow operator** (\-\>) in C++ also known as Class Member Access Operator is a combination of two different operators that is Minus operator (\-) and greater than operator (\>). It is used to access the public members of a **class**, **structure**, or members of **union** with the help of a pointer variable.
There is a .(dot) operator in C++ that is also used to access the members of a class. But .(dot operator) accesses the member or variable directly means without using the pointers whereas instead of accessing members directly the arrow operator(\-\>) in C++ uses a pointer to access them. So the advantage of the \-\> operator is that it can deal with both pointer and non-pointer access but the dot(.) operator can only be used to access the members of a class.
Arrow (\-\>) operator in C++ represents the same meaning which is done by the (\*) asterisk operator and dot(.) operator. Arrow operator can be written in a different way which is using the combination of two operators \*.. For example, (\*s).element is the same as s-\>element. The brackets (parenthesis) used while using the combination of (\*.) operators show that the precedence of the dot(.) operator is more than \*.
Let's understand the use of the Arrow operator \-\> in C++ using some practical programming examples.
### Syntax
Let's first take a look at the syntax for using the arrow operator in C++ for accessing the members of a class, structure, etc.
```
```
Here, we have used the arrow operator to access the class member variable represented by class\_member\_name through the object pointer which is represented by pointer.
### Explanation
Let's implement a simple program to explain and demonstrate the use of the \-\> operator in C++. In the below example, we have declared a **structure** Person which contains two member variables. The first one is the name variable which is a character array that stores the name of the Person and the other one is the age variable which is of integer type.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In the above example, after creating classes and objects we have called the main() method. In the main() method, we have created an object info of structure type that is Person type. Then we used the arrow operator (\-\>) to assign the 17 value to the member variable age. After assigning the value to the member, we then used the arrow operator (\-\>) to access the member and print its value as we can see in the output.
## Examples of Arrow Operators -\> in C++
We will implement several examples of the usage of the \-\> operator in C++ to understand about the arrow operator in more depth.
### Example 1
In this example, we will demonstrate the usage of the arrow operator \-\> in C++ with classes. Here, member functions of the class are accessed by the pointer object using the \-\> operator.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In the above example, we have first created a Student class that contains some private variables and public functions. The first function which is percentage calculates the total percentage by using the marks stored in the total\_marks variable. Now, as we can see the total\_marks variable is **private** so we can use the this keyword to refer to the private variable. Now for referring to the current object's private variable, the this keyword uses the arrow operator.
### Example 2
In this example, we will demonstrate the usage of the arrow operator \-\> in C++ with **unions**. Here, member variables of the union are accessed by the pointer object using the \-\> operator.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In this example, we created a union called Studentwith some variables. In the main function, the object of the union student is created and initialized with a NULL value. Here, we have dynamically allocated memory to the created union object. Since the object contains two variables we can refer to those variables using the arrow operator. So we have used the object name along with the arrow operator to refer to the desired union variable.
### Example 3
In this example, we will demonstrate the usage of the arrow operator \-\> in C++ with **struct**. Here, member variables of the structure are accessed by the pointer object using the \-\> operator.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In this example, we have created a structure called Employee having a variable name. In the main function, we have the object of the student structure and initialized them with the NULL value. Now, we have dynamically allocated the memory to the union object. Since the object contains one variable we can refer to that variable using the arrow operator. So we have used the object name along with the arrow operator to refer to the desired struct variable.
## Asterisk and Dot Operator Instead of Arrow Operator
Let's see an example to understand the usage of the arrow operator and combination of (\*) and (.) operators which is a kind of similar way to access the members of a class.
### Example
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In this example, we have created a class called Combihas a variable and member functions. In the main function, we have created the object of the Combi class. Now, we have dynamically allocated the memory to the object s using the new keyword. Since we have used the new keyword the object is created and a reference to the object(pointer) is returned. We can either use the arrow operator or the Asterisk(\*) and dot(.) operator to refer to the data members and member functions. Here, first the \*s is resolved and then the dot operator will help us to locate the actual data member and member functions.
Now, we will use the arrow operator to implement the same program. This will also give the same output.
**Code**
```
```
**Output**
```
```
**Explanation**
In this example, we have created a class called Combi that has a variable and member functions. In the main function, we have created the object of the Combi class. Now, we have dynamically allocated the memory to the object s using the new keyword. Since we have used the new keyword the object is created and a reference to the object(pointer) is returned. Here, we have used the arrow operator to refer to the desired class variable or member function.
## Different Operators in C++
**Operators** are the basic building block of any programming language. An operator is a symbol that will be operated on a variable or a constant value. They are used to give instructions to the compiler to perform a particular operation. Each operator has its pre-defined operation.
There exists a different kinds of operators in C++ which are listed below:
- C++ Arithmetic Operators
- Arithmetic operators are used to perform arithmetic operations on the operands. These operators include \+ (addition), \- (Subtraction), \* (Multiplication), % (Modulo), and / (Division).
- C++ Relational Operators
- Relational Operators are used to compare the values of two operands. These operators include \== (Is Equal To), != (Not Equal To), \> (Greater Than), \< (Less Than), \>= (Greater Than or Equal To), \<= (Less Than or Equal To).
- C++ Logical Operators
- Logical Operators are used to find whether an expression is true or not. These operators include && (Logical AND), \|\| (Logical OR), and \! (Logical NOT).
- C++ Bitwise Operators
- Bitwise operators are used to performing operations on integers at the bit level. These operators include & (Bitwise AND), \| (Bitwise OR), ^ (Bitwise XOR), ~ (Bitwise NOT), \<\< (Bitwise Shift Left), \>\> (Bitwise Shift Right).
- C++ Assignment Operators
- Assignment operators are used for assigning values to a variable. These operators include \=, \+=, \-=, \*=, /=, %=.
- and other operators.
To learn more about **Operators in C++**, refer to the article [Operators in C++](https://www.scaler.com/topics/cpp/operators-in-cpp/)
## Conclusion
- An **operator** is a symbol that is used to give instructions to the compiler to perform a particular operation on operands.
- **Arrow operator** (\-\>) in C++ also known as Class Member Access Operator is a combination of two different operators that is Minus operator (-) and greater than operator (\>).
- It is used to access the members of a **class**, **structure**, or members of **union** with the help of a pointer variable.
- There is a **.(dot)** operator in C++ that is also used to access the members of a class.
- . (dot operator) accesses the member or variable directly Whereas instead of accessing the members directly the arrow operator(\-\>) in C++ uses a pointer to access them.
- Arrow (\-\>) operator in C++ represents the same meaning which is done by the (\*) asterisk operator and dot(.) operator.
- The combination of (\*) and the (.) operator can also be used to access the members of a class similarly. |
| ML Classification | |
| ML Categories | null |
| ML Page Types | null |
| ML Intent Types | null |
| Content Metadata | |
| Language | en |
| Author | Mohit Sahay |
| Publish Time | 2022-11-21 00:00:00 (3 years ago) |
| Original Publish Time | 2022-11-21 00:00:00 (3 years ago) |
| Republished | No |
| Word Count (Total) | 1,910 |
| Word Count (Content) | 1,601 |
| Links | |
| External Links | 8 |
| Internal Links | 54 |
| Technical SEO | |
| Meta Nofollow | No |
| Meta Noarchive | No |
| JS Rendered | No |
| Redirect Target | null |
| Performance | |
| Download Time (ms) | 201 |
| TTFB (ms) | 201 |
| Download Size (bytes) | 21,614 |
| Shard | 103 (laksa) |
| Root Hash | 2748309851778122103 |
| Unparsed URL | com,scaler!www,/topics/arrow-operator-in-cpp/ s443 |