What happens when a null pointer is dereferenced in C++?
int *p = nullptr;
cout << *p;
Options
-
A.
It always prints 0.
-
B.
It always prints the pointer address.
-
C.
It results in undefined behavior.
-
D.
More than one of the above
-
E.
None of the above
Correct Answer (Detailed Explanation is Below)
C.
It results in undefined behavior.
Detailed Explanation
Answer: (C) It results in undefined behavior.
nullptr represents a null pointer and does not point to a valid object.
Attempting to access the object through *p when p is null is invalid.
The C++ standard does not specify a particular result for such an operation. It is therefore undefined behavior.
It may appear to cause a crash on many systems, but a specific result should not be assumed.
