Parameter Passing Help

[jin]

Hey i have a function that has parameters of an int and a pointer to an object. i am passing in an int and an address of an object. the function finds the object with the int value. i would like to change the address of the object being passed in to the to the one in the function. how would i go about doing this.

PS: cannot change parameters to references and cannot change return type.

if u dont understand that

in main

code:

Database.retrieve(x, &tempRecord)

the function

code:

retrieve(unsigned int studentNum, studentRecord* searchRecord) {         for (int index = 0; index < _next_index; index++)         {                 if (_arrayDB[index]->getStudentNumber() == studentNum)                 {                         searchRecord = _arrayDB[index];                 }         } }

i want tempRecord in main to have address of _arrayDB[index]

appreciate any help

[abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy]

code:

retrieve(unsigned int studentNum, studentRecord* searchRecord //a pointer named searchRecord points to the address of tempRecord) {    for (int index = 0; index < _next_index // where is this declared?; index++)    {       if (_arrayDB[index]->getStudentNumber() == studentNum)       {          searchRecord = _arrayDB[index]; //now the pointer searchRecord points to the studentRecord* located at index.  We haven't changed tempRecord.          break;       }    } }

But what is tempRecord exactly? It is an object you created on the stack. Not a pointer. When you pass it's address to this function you can manipulate that object, but you can't turn that object into a pointer by supplying its address.

In order for tempRecord to have an address which can be changed you need to declare it as a pointer, not an object.

code:

studentRecord* tempRecord = new studentRecord; //then pass it to the function like so: Database.retrieve(num, tempRecord);

But you mentioned you cannot change any parameters. Well, without changing any parameters you CANNOT change the address of tempRecord to anything, because it is not a poitner. But you could make the value of tempRecord equal the value of _arrayDB[index]. How? First be sure to overload the = operator in your class declaration. Then,

code:

*searchRecord = *_arrayDB[index];

If you don't know about overloading the = operator than google it or find the answer in these forums. wtd covered it a few times I think in the tutorial section.