Pointer comparison

4
votes

Do pointers in C and C++ support comparison operators (>, <, etc.) in standard?

I want to compare array positions to be precise.

2
c++cpointers
Dupe of stackoverflow.com/questions/1098966/… among others - anon

2 Answers

12
votes

In a contiguous array comparing memory offsets (pointers) is OK. If your array is implemented as a linked list (for example) the nodes could be all over memory so pointer comparison is nonsensical.

1
votes

Yes, they can be compared.

For example, see "Relational Operators" in standards for further information, 6.5.8 in C99, and 5.9 in old draft of C++ (2006-11).