pointers--when to use them

[nuzzle]

The example was just to show that the generalized statement made as in:
was not completely true. This was just to show that a reference could be linked to an object on the heap until anytime upto the end of the object's lifetime. Return of new was not what the example was just limited to illustrate. Plus I think you missed the rest of the statements I made there in where I mentioned about possibility of null references and the way you could have nothrow version of new be able to cope up with the syntax and hence leading to a possibility that new could well have been returning a reference. But I guess if you can skip all that context, it might as well sound like a Hopeless Nerd. Thanks for the comment.

To put in a personal reflection.

My reply in #6 was an attempt to give the broad view, to see the forrest and not the individual trees. And I think it was very good actually.

Then in comes you. The nerd, incapable of taking the broader view of things.

I tell you this. Do you have a better overview than I gave in my reply #6? Then post it! On the other hand if you want to discuss "the individual trees" then put in your claims and I'll reply. And you'll be surprised, the topic of pointers in C++ is wider than you've ever imagined.