this pointer

 

C++

Language

Standard library headers

Concepts

Utilities library

Strings library

Containers library

Algorithms library

Iterators library

Numerics library

Input/output library

Localizations library

Regular expressions library (C++11)

Atomic operations library (C++11)

Thread support library (C++11)

 

C++ language

General topics
Preprocessor Comments Keywords	ASCII chart Escape sequences History of C++
Flow control
Conditional execution statements
if statement	switch statement
Iteration statements
for loop range-for loop (C++11)	while loop do-while loop
Jump statements
continue statement break statement	goto statement return statement
Functions
function declaration
lambda function declaration
function template
inline specifier
exception specifications (deprecated)
noexcept specifier (C++11)
Exceptions
throw expression	try-catch block
Namespaces
namespace declaration	namespace aliases
Types
fundamental types compound types enumeration types	union types function types
decltype specifier (C++11)
Specifiers
cv specifiers
storage duration specifiers
constexpr specifier (C++11)
auto specifier (C++11)
alignas specifier (C++11)
Initialization
default initialization value initialization zero initialization copy initialization direct initialization	aggregate initialization list initialization (C++11) constant initialization reference initialization

Literals
integer literals character literals floating-point literals string literals	boolean literals nullptr (C++11) user-defined (C++11)
Expressions
value categories order of evaluation	operators operator precedence
alternative representations
Utilities
Types
typedef declaration
type alias declaration (C++11)
attributes (C++11)
Casts
implicit conversions
const_cast conversion
static_cast conversion
dynamic_cast conversion
reinterpret_cast conversion
C-style and functional cast
Memory allocation
new expression	delete expression
Classes
class declaration this pointer access specifiers	friend specifier initializer lists
Class-specific function properties
virtual function override specifier (C++11) final specifier (C++11)	explicit (C++11) static
Special member functions
default constructor copy constructor move constructor (C++11)	copy assignment move assignment (C++11) destructor
Templates
class template
function template
template specialization
parameter packs (C++11)
Miscellaneous
Inline assembly

 

Inside non-static member function, holds a pointer to the class object from which the function was invoked.

The type of this pointer is cv T* const where T is the class name and cv refers to the cv specifiers of the function the pointer is used in. For example:

Function signature	Type of this
void T::foo()	T* const this;
void T::foo() const	const T* const this;
void T::foo() volatile	volatile T* const this;
void T::foo() const volatile	const volatile T* const this;

Example

class T
{
    int x;
 
    void foo()
    {
        this->x = 5; // this used explicitly
        x = 6; // same as this->x = 6;
    }
 
    void foo() const
    {
        this->x = 7; // Error: *this is constant
    }
 
    void foo ( int x )
    {
        // parameter x shadows the attribute with the same name
        this->x = x; // unqualified x refers to the parameter, but the attribute is still accessible using the this pointer 
    }
 
    T& operator= ( const T& b )
    {
        x = b.x;
        return *this; // this is often used when a reference to the current object is needed
    }
 
    void bar ( const T& b )
    {
        // two ways to call class operators using this 
        *this = b;
        this->operator= ( b );
    }
 
    void bar()
    {
       // methods can be called even when there's no object
       // the this pointer can be seen like an additional parameter implicitly passed
       if ( this == NULL )
          return;
    }
};
 
T* pointer = reinterpret_cast<T*>(123);
pointer->bar(); // bar is called with 123 (0x7B) as value for this