Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #8597

Re: DataInputStream

Date	2011-10-06 07:49 -0700
From	Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject	Re: DataInputStream
References	(4 earlier) <02b9b80f-ff02-499d-8f33-056080b114bb@s9g2000yql.googlegroups.com> <64b13101-4846-42d7-bc75-458eb326f73f@n8g2000yqd.googlegroups.com> <20878450.465.1317851548409.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@prcs9> <356220fa-e842-4ba0-9f63-d66f80c2262a@n15g2000vbn.googlegroups.com> <10426412.443.1317910089121.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@prmr13>
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On 10/6/2011 7:08 AM, Lew wrote:
...
> But do feel free to use the term "reference", which in Java's
> nomenclature is exactly equivalent to "pointer".
>
> The key feature of a pointer is that it points to something.  The
> ability to alias pointer types (e.g., 'byte' array to 'float' array),
> perform pointer arithmetic or to point to invalid memory are not
> essential to the definition of "pointer".
...

<pedant>
According to the JLS, "The reference values (often just references) are
pointers to these objects, and a special null reference, which refers to
no object."

That is, a pointer always points to something. A reference may be null,
in which case it does not point to anything and therefore is not a pointer.
<\pedant>

Patricia

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Thread

DataInputStream bob <bob@coolgroups.com> - 2011-10-04 22:34 -0700
  Re: DataInputStream Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-10-05 08:02 +0200
    Re: DataInputStream bob <bob@coolgroups.com> - 2011-10-04 23:17 -0700
      Re: DataInputStream Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-10-05 00:07 -0700
        Re: DataInputStream bob <bob@coolgroups.com> - 2011-10-05 07:17 -0700
          Re: DataInputStream markspace <-@.> - 2011-10-05 08:27 -0700
          Re: DataInputStream Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-10-05 08:38 -0700
          Re: DataInputStream Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-10-05 08:58 -0700
            Re: DataInputStream Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-10-05 14:52 -0700
              Re: DataInputStream Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-10-05 15:15 -0700
              Re: DataInputStream Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-10-06 00:11 -0700
                Re: DataInputStream Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-10-06 07:08 -0700
                Re: DataInputStream Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-10-06 07:49 -0700
          Re: DataInputStream Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-10-05 21:16 -0400
      Re: DataInputStream Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-10-05 08:12 +0000
        Re: DataInputStream bob <bob@coolgroups.com> - 2011-10-05 07:12 -0700
  Re: DataInputStream Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-10-06 02:48 -0700

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