# Use of \`pointer\`

**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/use-of-pointer/8849
**Category:** General Usage
**Created:** [February 2, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/use-of-pointer/8849 "2018-02-02T13:58:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 13

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### Author: ![ScottPJones](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/scottpjones/32/146_2.png) [@ScottPJones](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ScottPJones)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/use-of-pointer/8849/13 "2018-02-05T22:10:46Z")

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> [@A plea for int overflow checking as the default](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-plea-for-int-overflow-checking-as-the-default/3338/75):
>
> Rename pointer to Base.Really.Really.Dangerous.unsafe\_pointer

Having it as: `Core.unsafe_pointer` I think would be enough to discourage the faint of heart.  
I don’t know why it is exported, I’d make all the `unsafe_*` things be unexported, make people work just a little bit to find them (but don’t remove them from the tool box of people writing code at the level of Base, such as my package to replace `Char` and `String`)

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