The this pointer (C++ only)

The keyword this identifies a special type of pointer. Suppose that you create an object named x of class A, and class A has a nonstatic member function f(). If you call the function x.f(), the keyword this in the body of f() stores the address of x. You cannot declare the this pointer or make assignments to it.

A static member function does not have a this pointer.

The type of the this pointer for a member function of a class type X, is X* const. If the member function is declared with the const qualifier, the type of the this pointer for that member function for class X, is const X* const.

A const this pointer can by used only with const member functions. Data members of the class will be constant within that function. The function is still able to change the value, but requires a const_cast to do so:

void foo::p() const{    
member = 1;                       // illegal    
const_cast <int&> (member) = 1;   // a bad practice but legal 
}

A better technique would be to declare member mutable.

If the member function is declared with the volatile qualifier, the type of the this pointer for that member function for class X is volatile X* const. For example, the compiler will not allow the following:

struct A {
  int a;
  int f() const { return a++; }
};

The compiler will not allow the statement a++ in the body of function f(). In the function f(), the this pointer is of type A* const. The function f() is trying to modify part of the object to which this points.

The this pointer is passed as a hidden argument to all nonstatic member function calls and is available as a local variable within the body of all nonstatic functions.

For example, you can refer to the particular class object that a member function is called for by using the this pointer in the body of the member function. The following code example produces the output a = 5:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct X {
private:
  int a;
public:
  void Set_a(int a) {

    // The 'this' pointer is used to retrieve 'xobj.a'
    // hidden by the automatic variable 'a'
    this->a = a;
  }
   void Print_a() { cout << "a = " << a << endl; }
};

int main() {
  X xobj;
  int a = 5;
  xobj.Set_a(a);
  xobj.Print_a();
}

In the member function Set_a(), the statement this->a = a uses the this pointer to retrieve xobj.a hidden by the automatic variable a.

Unless a class member name is hidden, using the class member name is equivalent to using the class member name with the this pointer and the class member access operator (->).

The example in the first column of the following table shows code that uses class members without the this pointer. The code in the second column uses the variable THIS to simulate the first column's hidden use of the this pointer:

#include <string>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct X {
private:
  int len;
  char *ptr;
public:
  int GetLen() {
    return len;
  }
  char * GetPtr() {
    return ptr;
  }
  X& Set(char *);
  X& Cat(char *);
  X& Copy(X&);
  void Print();
};

X& X::Set(char *pc) {
  len = strlen(pc);
  ptr = new char[len];
  strcpy(ptr, pc);
  return *this;
}

X& X::Cat(char *pc) {
  len += strlen(pc);
  strcat(ptr,pc);
  return *this;
}

X& X::Copy(X& x) {
  Set(x.GetPtr());
  return *this;
}

void X::Print() {
  cout << ptr << endl;
}

int main() {
  X xobj1;
  xobj1.Set("abcd")
       .Cat("efgh");

  xobj1.Print();
  X xobj2;
  xobj2.Copy(xobj1)
       .Cat("ijkl");

  xobj2.Print();
}

#include <string>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct X {
private:
  int len;
  char *ptr;
public:
  int GetLen (X* const THIS) {
    return THIS->len;
  }
  char * GetPtr (X* const THIS) {
    return THIS->ptr;
  }
  X& Set(X* const, char *);
  X& Cat(X* const, char *);
  X& Copy(X* const, X&);
  void Print(X* const);
};

X& X::Set(X* const THIS, char *pc) {
  THIS->len = strlen(pc);
  THIS->ptr =  new char[THIS->len];
  strcpy(THIS->ptr, pc);
  return *THIS;
}

X& X::Cat(X* const THIS, char *pc) {
  THIS->len += strlen(pc);
  strcat(THIS->ptr, pc);
  return *THIS;
}

X& X::Copy(X* const THIS, X& x) {
  THIS->Set(THIS, x.GetPtr(&x));
  return *THIS;
}

void X::Print(X* const THIS) {
  cout << THIS->ptr << endl;
}

int main() {
  X xobj1;
  xobj1.Set(&xobj1 , "abcd")
       .Cat(&xobj1 , "efgh");

  xobj1.Print(&xobj1);
  X xobj2;
  xobj2.Copy(&xobj2 , xobj1)
       .Cat(&xobj2 , "ijkl");

  xobj2.Print(&xobj2);
}

Both examples produce the following output:

abcdefgh
abcdefghijkl

Related information

• Overloading assignments (C++ only)
• Copy constructors (C++ only)