pointer

1. programming An address, from the point of view of a

programming language. A pointer may be typed, with its type

indicating the type of data to which it points.

The terms "pointer" and "reference" are generally

interchangable although particular programming languages often

differentiate these two in subtle ways. For example, Perl

always calls them references, never pointers. Conversely, in

C, "pointer" is used, although "a reference" is often used to

denote the concept that a pointer implements.

Anthony Hoare once said:

Pointers are like jumps, leading wildly from one part of the

data structure to another. Their introduction into high-level

languages has been a step backward from which we may never

recover.

[C.A.R.Hoare "Hints on Programming Language Design", 1973,

Prentice-Hall collection of essays and papers by Tony Hoare].

2. operating system (Or "mouse pointer") An icon, usually

a small arrow, that moves on the screen in response to

movement of a pointing device, typically a mouse. The

pointer shows the user which object on the screen will be

selected etc. when a mouse button is clicked.

(1999-07-07)