What is ^ in object definition? [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
What does the caret mean in C++/CLI?
In C++/CLR, what does a hat character ^ do?

I created my first Win form application in Visual Studio C++, and browsing through the code saw something that I cannot understand:

private: System::Windows::Forms::Button^  button1;

What is the meaning of ^ sign in this line? I understand * and & but never seen ^ in definition of an object.

Answer 1

Have a look here this is not just C++ but C++/CLI

In C++/CLI the only type of pointer is the normal C++ pointer, and the .NET reference types are accessed through a "handle", with the new syntax ClassName^ instead of ClassName*. This new construct is especially helpful when managed and standard C++ code is mixed; it clarifies which objects are under .NET automatic garbage collection and which objects the programmer must remember to explicitly destroy.

Answer 2

It designates a garbage collected pointer. The normal C++ version is * for pointers, C++/CLI uses ^ to differentiate between managed and unmanaged. It also uses a different keyword to allocate the memory.

int* plain_cpp = new int;
delete plain_cpp; // unmanaged

int^ cpp_cli = gcnew int;
// managed, no delete possible