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Common Uses for Pointers (Sharing)

• Another common use of pointers is sharing.
• Rather than duplicating objects, we can use pointers to share the object.
• Pointers are useful to model a "n:1" relationship, in which a number of different variables share the same object.
• Example: Many departments may have a receptionist and a secretary. In some departments, this it the same person.

  class Department
  {
   . . .
  private:
     string name;
     Employee* receptionist;
     Employee* secretary;
  };
  

• Sharing is particularly important when changes to the object need to be observed by all users of the object.

  Employee* tina = new Employee("Tester, Tina", 50000);
  Department qc("Quality Control");
  qc.set_receptionist(tina);
  qc.set_secretary(tina);
  tina->set_salary(55000);
  
  

• Without using pointers, changing Tina's salary would not update the information in the receptionist or secretary attribute.

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