Category 

C++-Specific Keywords 

Example  

class X {
  int a;
public:
  X (int b) {this -> a = b;}
};

Description 

In nonstatic member functions, the keyword this is a pointer to the object for which the function is called. All calls to nonstatic member functions pass this as a hidden argument. 

this is a local variable available in the body of any nonstatic member function. Use it implicitly within the function for member references. It does not need to be declared and it is rarely referred to explicitly in a function definition. 

For example, in the call x.func(y) , where y is a member of X, the keyword this is set to &x and y is set to this->y, which is equivalent to x.y. 

Static member functions do not have a this pointer because they are called with no particular object in mind. Thus, a static member function cannot access nonstatic members without explicitly specifying an object with . or ->.