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Week3.2void and Function Pointers

The document discusses void pointers in C. It explains that a void pointer has no associated data type and can store the address of any type of object, making it reusable. It provides examples of declaring and dereferencing void pointers, and shows how to properly perform arithmetic on void pointers. The document also covers function pointers, explaining their syntax and how to initialize and call functions using pointers.

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lulu Han
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24 views

Week3.2void and Function Pointers

The document discusses void pointers in C. It explains that a void pointer has no associated data type and can store the address of any type of object, making it reusable. It provides examples of declaring and dereferencing void pointers, and shows how to properly perform arithmetic on void pointers. The document also covers function pointers, explaining their syntax and how to initialize and call functions using pointers.

Uploaded by

lulu Han
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Void Pointer

Eike Ritter
School of Computer Science
University of Birmingham

1
Void pointer

• A void pointer in C has no associated data type.

• It can store the address of any type of object

• ‘Generic pointer’

• It can be type-casted to any types.

Syntax for declaration

void *pointer_name;

2
Void pointer and reusability

• Most important feature of the void pointer is reusability.

• We can store the address of any object

• Whenever required we can typecast it to a required type

3
Void pointer example
int main()
{
void *pv;
int iData = 5; The same pointer is reused for
char cData = 'C'; multiple data types.
Type must be specified while
//Pointer to char dereferencing.
pv = &cData;

//Dereferencing void pointer with char typecasting


printf("cData = %c\n\n",*((char*)pv));

//Pointer to int
pv = &iData;

//Dereferencing void pointer with int typecasting


printf("iData = %d\n\n",*((int *)pv));

return 0;
} 4
Arithmetic on void pointer

#include<stdio.h>

int main()
{
int a[4] = {1, 5, 13, 4};
void *pv = &a[0];
pv = pv + 1;

printf("Value %d\n", *((int *) pv) );

return 0;
}

What will be the output?

5
Arithmetic on void pointer

#include<stdio.h>

int main()
{
int a[4] = {1, 5, 13, 4};
void *pv = &a[0];
pv = pv + 1;

printf("Value %d\n", *((int *) pv) );

return 0;
}

What will be the output?


It will not print 5
pv+1 does not increment pv by scale_factor=4 6
Arithmetic on void pointer
Perform proper typecasting on the void pointer before
performing arithmetic operation.
#include<stdio.h>

int main()
{
int a[4] = {1, 5, 13, 4};
void *pv = &a[0];
pv = (int *) pv + 1;

printf("Value %d\n", *((int *) pv) );

return 0;
}
Now it prints 5
During pv+1 compiler increments pv by scale_factor=4
7
Function pointers

Start address of foo1()


foo1() Program
memory
Start address of foo2()
foo2()

• Every function has a memory address.


• A pointer to a function holds the starting address

12
Function pointer syntax

Syntax for declaration

int (*foo)(int);

• foo is a pointer to a function


• Where function takes one int argument and returns int.

int negate(int a);


foo int square(int c);
...

Foo can point to any of these functions 13


Function pointer syntax: careful

Function pointer declaration

int (*foo)(int);

Here function returns pointer of type int

int *foo(int);

To declare a function pointer ( ) must be used


14
Function pointer syntax

What is the meaning of this syntax?

int *(*foo)(int);

• foo is a pointer to a function


• Where function takes one int argument and returns pointer to int.

int *negate(int a);


foo int *square(int c);
...

Foo can point to any of these functions 15


Initialization of function pointer
void int_func(int a)
{
printf("%d\n", a);
}

int main()
{
void (*foo)(int);

// & is optional
foo = &int_func;

return 0;
}
16
Calling function using function pointer
void int_func(int a)
{
printf("%d\n", a);
}
int main()
{
void (*foo)(int);

// & is optional
foo = &int_func;
// two ways to call
foo(2);
(*foo)(3);
return 0;
}
17

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