About function pointers...

I looked through the tutorials on this site and I'm still unclear how exactly they work...

In the example it shows as a prototype:

Code:

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bool (*)(int, int)

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Does the name of the pointer itself go inside the first set of parenthases, with the *?

That being asked, in what situations would you want to use function pointers? In the example, it looks to me like it is just as practical to use the return value of the function instead of the pointer, as either way the function needs to be evaluated...

Thanks for your assistance, as always.

The name of your function pointer would be right of the asterisk. Function pointers are most useful in situations where you must call an unknown function defined by the user (of your code). A common example is in Windows programming. In order for your program to process messages sent by the operating system, you can give it the name of a callback function you have defined. You wouldn't have any reason to use function pointers in most applications and when programming in C++ (and you're developing for a framework that allows it) you can use functors instead.

Code:

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double add(double x, double y) {return x+y;}  // two functions to point to
double subtract(double x, double y) {return x-y;}

// ...

double (*funcpointer)(double, double);  // declare the function pointer
    // it's a pointer to a function that returns a double and takes two doubles as arguments

// ...

if(input == "+") funcpointer = add;  // set the function pointer (method #1)
else funcpointer = &subtract;  // method #2

// ...

funcpointer(num1, num2);  // call the function (method #1)
(*funcpointer)(num1, num2);  // method #2

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Code:

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funcpointer(num1, num2);  // call the function (method #1)
(*funcpointer)(num1, num2);  // method #2

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Neither of those statements would be useful.

Having a bad day 7stud?

That calls the function that the function pointer points to, which you´ll have to do eventually for it to be useful.

Unless you mean the return value. Okay, then, do this:

Code:

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double one = funcpointer(num1, num2);  // call the function (method #1)
double two = (*funcpointer)(num1, num2);  // method #2

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