Pointer declaration in Go - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a pointer in Go?

A pointer in Go is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable. It allows you to directly access and modify the value stored at that address.

beginner

How do you declare a pointer to an int variable in Go?

You declare a pointer to an int using the syntax: var p *int. Here, p is a pointer that can hold the address of an int variable.

beginner

What does the * operator do when used with a pointer variable?

The * operator is used to dereference a pointer, which means accessing or modifying the value stored at the memory address the pointer holds.

beginner

How do you get the address of a variable in Go?

You use the & operator before a variable name to get its memory address. For example, p = &x assigns the address of x to pointer p.

intermediate

Why use pointers in Go?

Pointers let you share and modify data efficiently without copying it. They are useful for changing variables inside functions and managing memory directly.

Which symbol is used to declare a pointer type in Go?

A &

B #

C *

D $

The * symbol is used to declare a pointer type, for example, *int means a pointer to an int.

What does the & operator do in Go?

A Declares a pointer

B Dereferences a pointer

C Assigns a value

D Gets the address of a variable

The & operator returns the memory address of a variable.

How do you access the value stored at the address a pointer holds?

A Using the * operator

B Using the & operator

C Using the -> operator

D Using the . operator

The * operator dereferences the pointer to access the value at its address.

What is the type of variable p after this declaration: var p *int?

A Integer

B Pointer to int

C Pointer to string

D String

p is declared as a pointer to an int type.

Why might you use pointers in Go?

A To modify variables inside functions without copying

B To create new variables

C To convert types

D To print values

Pointers allow functions to modify variables directly by passing their addresses.

Explain how to declare a pointer to an int and assign it the address of an int variable in Go.

Think about how you declare a pointer and how you get the address of a variable.

Describe what happens when you dereference a pointer in Go and why it is useful.

Consider what * does when used with a pointer variable.