# std::ios_base::pword

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< cpp‎ | io‎ | ios base

void*& pword( int index ); |  |

First, allocates or resizes the private storage (dynamic array of void* or another indexable data structure) sufficiently to make `index` a valid index, then returns a reference to the void* element of the private storage with the index `index`.

The reference may be invalidated by any operation on this `ios_base` object, including another call to `pword()`, but the stored values are retained, so that reading from pword(index) with the same index later will produce the same value (until the next call to copyfmt()). The value can be used for any purpose. The index of the element must be obtained by xalloc(), otherwise the behavior is undefined. New elements are initialized to NULL.

If allocation fails, calls std::basic_ios<>::setstate(badbit) which may throw std::ios_base::failure

### Parameters

index | - | index value of the element

### Return value

A reference to the element.

### Exceptions

May throw std::ios_base::failure when setting the badbit.

### Notes

If the pointers stored in `pword` require management, register_callback() may be used to install handlers that execute deep copy or deallocation as needed.

### Example

Uses base class pword storage for runtime type identification of derived stream objects.

Run this code

    #include <iostream>

    template<class charT, class traits = std::char_traits<charT> >
    class mystream : public std::basic_ostream<charT, traits>
    {
     public:
        static const int xindex;
        mystream(std::basic_ostream<charT, traits>& ostr) :
            std::basic_ostream<charT, traits>(ostr.rdbuf())
        {
             this->pword(xindex) = this;
        }

        void myfn()
        {
            *this << "[special handling for mystream]";
        }
    };

    // each specialization of mystream obtains a unique index from xalloc()
    template<class charT, class traits>
    const int mystream<charT, traits>::xindex = std::ios_base::xalloc();

    // This I/O manipulator will be able to recognize ostreams that are mystreams
    // by looking up the pointer stored in pword
    template<class charT, class traits>
    std::basic_ostream<charT,traits>& mymanip(std::basic_ostream<charT,traits>& os)
    {
     if (os.pword(mystream<charT,traits>::xindex) == &os)
        static_cast<mystream<charT,traits>&>(os).myfn();
     return os;
    }

    int main()
    {
        std::cout << "cout, narrow-character test " << mymanip << '\n';

        mystream<char> myout(std::cout);
        myout << "myout, narrow-character test " << mymanip << '\n';

        std::wcout << "wcout, wide-character test " << mymanip << '\n';

        mystream<wchar_t> mywout(std::wcout);
        mywout << "mywout, wide-character test " << mymanip << '\n';
    }

Output:

    cout, narrow-character test
    myout, narrow-character test [special handling for mystream]
    wcout, wide-character test
    mywout, wide-character test [special handling for mystream]

### See also

iword | resizes the private storage if necessary and access to the long element at the given index (public member function)
xalloc [static] | returns a program-wide unique integer that is safe to use as index to pword() and iword() (public static member function)

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