Question

The this pointer is accessible __________________

(a) Within all the member functions of the class

(b) Only within functions returning void

(c) Only within non-static functions

(d) Within the member functions with zero arguments

I had been asked this question in final exam.

Asked question is from This Pointer in division Assigning Object, Pointer to Objects, Passing and Returning Object of Object Oriented Programming

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(c) Only within non-static functions

Explanation: The this pointer in C++ is an implicit pointer that points to the current object of a class. It is available only within non-static member functions of the class because static functions are not associated with any specific object—they belong to the class itself and do not have access to instance-specific data, which is why the this pointer is not accessible within static functions.

Here’s a breakdown of the options:

• (a) Within all the member functions of the class: Incorrect, because static member functions do not have access to the this pointer.
• (b) Only within functions returning void: Incorrect, the this pointer can be used in functions that return any type, not just void.
• (d) Within the member functions with zero arguments: Incorrect, the this pointer can be used in member functions with any number of arguments, as long as the function is non-static.

Therefore, (c) is the correct answer since the this pointer is only accessible within non-static member functions.