Pointers Explained

So you've got an int, which is just a regular integer minding its own business. Then you've got int*, a pointer that points to that integer's address. Then int** is a pointer to a pointer—basically pointing at the thing that's pointing at the thing. And then there's int***, which is a pointer to a pointer to a pointer, and at that point you're just showing off or you've made some deeply questionable life choices.

Each level of indirection adds another layer of "wait, what am I even looking at?" The person in the foreground holding int*** has that exact facial expression—equal parts pride and existential dread. You know you've gone too far when you need a flowchart to dereference a variable. Most codebases don't need triple pointers. If yours does, either you're doing something incredibly clever or incredibly cursed. There is no in-between.