array of objects or array of pointers?

[anonymousstranger]

given:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. type
2. aclass= class(Tobject)
3. var
4.   data:integer;
5.  
6.   constuctor create; overload;
7.   destructor destroy; overwrite;  
8. end;
9.  
10. clarray=array of aclass;
11.  
12. var
13.   myarraya:clarray;
14.   myarrayb:clarray;
15.   x:integer;
16.  
17. constructor aclass.create;
18. begin
19. inherited;
20. end;
21.  
22. destructor aclass.destroy; overwrite;
23. begin
24. inherited;
25. end;
26.  
27. function arraya(n:integer):clarray;
28. var
29.   k:integer;
30.  
31. begin
32.   size(result,n);
33.   for k:=0 to (n-1) do
34.     result[k]:=aclass.create;
35. end;
36.  
37. function arrayb(n:integer):clarray;
38. var
39.   k:integer;
40.   myclass:aclass:
41.  
42. begin
43.   size(result,n);
44.   for k:=0 to (n-1) do
45.     begin
46.       myclass:=aclass.create;
47.       result[k]:=myclass;
48.       myclass:=nil;
49.     end;
50. end;
51.  
52. begin {main}
53.   x:=3;
54.   myarraya:=arraya(x);
55.   myarrayb:=arrayb(x);
56. end;
57.  
58.  

Is myarraya an array of objects, while myarrayb is an array of pointers to objects? Or are myarraya and myarrayb both arrays of objects, or both arrays of pointers to objects?

[MarkMLl]

An object is represented by a pointer which is automagically dereferenced to storage on the heap.

MarkMLl

[anonymousstranger]

So these two arrays are the same?

[egsuh]

So these two arrays are the same?

Yes.

Class variable (MyClass of function arrayb in your example) contains pointer to the class object, while an integer variable contains integer. 

MyArrayA and MyArrayB are array of class variables, which is pointer variable. So the content in the arrays are the same in both (pointers).

[anonymousstranger]

Thank you. That really helps