pointer dereferencing

[ˈpɔɪntər ˌdiːˈrɛfərənsɪŋ]
nounpl: pointer dereferencings
desreferenciação de ponteiro
1. The operation of accessing the value stored at the memory address pointed to by a pointer variable in programming
Pointer dereferencing allows you to access the actual data stored in memory rather than just the address itself.
A desreferenciação de ponteiro permite acessar os dados reais armazenados na memória em vez de apenas o endereço.
2. In C and C++, using the asterisk (*) operator or arrow operator (->) to retrieve the value at a pointer's target location
In the code int value = *ptr;, the asterisk performs pointer dereferencing to get the integer value.
No código int value = *ptr;, o asterisco realiza a desreferenciação de ponteiro para obter o valor inteiro.
This is specialized technical terminology used primarily in computer science education and professional programming contexts. The term is consistent across Brazil and Portugal, though Portugal uses 'apontador' instead of 'ponteiro'. Understanding pointer dereferencing is fundamental to systems programming and is taught extensively in universities throughout the Portuguese-speaking world.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
pointer accessindirectiondereferencing operation
Antonyms / Antônimos
address-of operationtaking an address

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
desreferenciação de ponteiro
Standard technical term used in Brazilian programming education and industry
São Paulo
desreferenciação de ponteiro
Commonly used in tech hubs and universities
Rio de Janeiro
desreferenciação de ponteiro
Standard usage in technical contexts
Portugal
desreferenciação de apontador
Portuguese variant uses 'apontador' instead of 'ponteiro'

Related Words

pointermemory addressindirection operatornull pointermemory allocationreference

Related Idioms & Phrases

dereferencing a null pointer
unsafe pointer dereferencing
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