Thread: "this" keyword question

Hello all and thanks in advance for reading!
I have been playing around with classes and now want to dive in the 'this' keyword. I have been looking over the internet and I cannot get a good description of exactly what it does. So here are a few of my questions...

If I have a the following (syntax maybe wrong)

Code:

class x
{
public :
   int a;
   int b;
   int c;
   int d;

int setIntegers(int a, int b, int c, int d)
};

int x::setIntegers(int a, int b, int c, int d)
{
   this->a = a; 
   this->b = b;
   this->c = c;
   this->d = d;

  return(this);
}

What exactly gets returned by this. Also lets say instead of return(this) I have another class that has function addAll() and I call the following:

Code:

//Instead of return(this) within setIntegers function
   y->addAll(this);

y::addAll()
{
z = a+b+c+d;
//return(z);
//NOTE: This will not return anything, it will only store z as a private int.
}

First is that syntax right with the pointer? And secondly what would the parameters need to be for the addAll function.
Also am I calling the function correctly? By calling returning the this does it properly send out all of the varaibles...

Furthermore ( I know long post sorry ><; )

lets say within class x I have the following code instead...

Code:

x::setIntegers(int a, int b, int c, int d)
{
   this->a = a; 
   this->b = b;
   this->c = c;
   this->d = d;
}
x::processVariables()
{
  y->addAll(this);
//This is linking into the code snippet above.
}

Would it do the exact same thing yet now the values are set and can be sent at any request?

I hope all of my questions are clear and if need be I can elaborate. Thank you all again!

**EIDT**

I should also mention that this is not code I am working on but for example purposes. I believe understanding this example for me should be enough to help me accomplish my primary goal.

Err... what is the return type of those functions? Perhaps you should decide that instead of asking what is the type of this.

But if you do want to know, think: this is a pointer to the current object, but you cannot modify the this pointer itself.

As I mentioned the syntax might not be exaclty correct... The return type is an int. Also I understand definition and as mentioned I have researched this enough to have seen the definition plenty of times. My question is more application oriented. With that in mind now, is there anything wrong in terms of the application of 'this'.

Can I have a function that sets the variables passed in returning nothing. And then have another function which uses the this keyword as illistrated from my code example to add the variables and store that result? I will edit my first post..

Ah, so why is the return type int? Why not just make it void?

Originally Posted by Toonzaka

Can I have a function that sets the variables passed in returning nothing.

Yes, but making the return type to be void.