Pointer Reference Increment

Question

Problem: Pointer Reference Increment. Solve this hands-on electronics task on EWskills.

Accepted Answer

#include 

void incrementPtr(int* x) {
    if (x != nullptr) {
        (*x)++;
    }
}

void incrementRef(int& x) {
    x++;
}

int main() {
    int n;
    std::cin >> n;

    int a = n;
    incrementPtr(&a);
    std::cout << "After incrementPtr: " << a << "
";

    int b = n;
    incrementRef(b);
    std::cout << "After incrementRef: " << b;

    return 0;
}

Solution Details

incrementPtr(int* x)
- Uses a pointer to access the caller’s variable
- Requires explicit dereferencing
- Includes a null check to prevent undefined behavior
incrementRef(int& x)
- Uses a reference as an alias to the original variable
- Cannot be null
- Allows direct modification without dereferencing

Significance for Embedded Developers

Pointer-based interfaces are common in:
- C libraries
- Hardware abstraction layers (HAL)
- Memory-mapped register access
References provide:
- Safer APIs when null is not a valid state
- Cleaner and more readable code

Understanding both is essential for writing reliable firmware and reviewing low-level APIs.

1. Pointer Reference Increment