repoint

Repoint is a term used in computer programming and system administration to describe the process of changing the destination or target of a reference, pointer, or configuration setting. This action effectively redirects where a particular piece of data or a function is accessed or executed. The term can be applied in various contexts.

In software development, repointing might involve altering a variable's memory address to point to a different location where new data resides. This is a common operation in languages that manage memory explicitly. It can also refer to changing the target of a function pointer, so that calling the pointer now executes a different function.

Within system administration, repointing is frequently used in network configurations. For instance, it can involve changing DNS records to direct domain names to a new IP address, effectively moving a website or service to a different server. Similarly, configuration files may be repointed to read data from or write data to a different path or resource.

The act of repointing is fundamental to many dynamic operations, allowing systems to adapt to changes in data location, server infrastructure, or software updates without requiring a complete system rebuild. It is a mechanism for redirection and redirection management.