The 'this' Pointer

In C++, every object has access to its own address through a special pointer called the `this` pointer. The `this` pointer is an implicit parameter to all non-static member functions. Therefore, inside a member function, `this` may be used to refer to the invoking object. It's a pointer to the object on which the member function was called. A primary use of the `this` pointer is to resolve ambiguity between member variables and function parameters that have the same name. For instance, in a constructor, it's common to have parameters with the same names as the class's member variables. To distinguish between them, you can use `this->memberVariable = parameter;`. Here, `this->memberVariable` refers to the member variable of the object, while `parameter` refers to the local parameter of the function. Another use of the `this` pointer is to return a reference to the current object from a member function, which allows for function chaining (also known as fluent interface). For example, a function could perform an operation and then `return *this;`, allowing another member function to be called on the same object in the same statement, like `myObject.setX(10).setY(20);`. The type of the `this` pointer for a class `MyClass` is `MyClass*`. In a `const` member function, its type is `const MyClass*`, meaning you cannot use it to modify the object's members.