The pointer array method is easily ported and can be used to create standard API’s and application code that can work across different hardware platforms, allowing for application code to be shared.

I'm trying to make a point in my C++/data structures class about two-dimensional arrays being an array of one-dimensional arrays, so I thought I'd be clever and whip up the following quickie ...

Just remember casting pointer to int is a bad idea. When someone port the code to 64bit the pointer will be 64bit but int usually stay at 32bit.