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Pointer in C

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18 views21 pages

Pointer in C

Uploaded by

muhamed.amine.saad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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By,

LINGESHWARAN.R
Pointer in C:
A pointer in C is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable. Instead of
holding data like regular variables, a pointer holds the location where data is stored in memory.
How To Initialize Pointers In C?
Example:
Types of Pointers in C
Common types of pointers :
Six common types of pointers that have special behavior in a
C program.

➢ Null Pointers In C
➢ Void Pointers In C
➢ Wild Pointers In C
➢ Dangling Pointers In C
➢ Pointer To Pointer/ Double Pointers In C
➢ Constant Pointers In C
➢ Pointer To Constant
1)Null Pointers in C:
A null pointer in C is a pointer that points to nothing. It's represented by NULL,
which is defined as ((void*)0).

Syntax Of Null Pointers In C:


data_typ *pointer_name = NULL; (or) pointer_name = NULL

Null Pointer Example:

int *ptr = NULL;


if (ptr == NULL)
{
printf("Pointer is null\n");
}
Example:
2)Void Pointers in C:
A void pointer (void*) is a special pointer that can store the address of any
data type.
Key Points:

1.General Purpose:
Can point to any data type (e.g., int, float, char).
EX:
int a = 10;
void *ptr = &a; // Points to an int

2.Requires Typecasting:
You must cast it to the correct type before dereferencing.
EX:
printf("%d", *(int*)ptr); // Cast to int* before use

3.No Arithmetic:
Pointer arithmetic like ptr++ is not allowed because the size of the type is unknown.
Example1:
Example2:
3)Wild Pointers in C:
A wild pointer is an uninitialized pointer that points to a random memory location. Using it
leads to unpredictable behavior, such as crashes or corrupted data.

Key Points:

1.Uninitialized:
Declared but not assigned any value.
EX:
int *ptr; // Wild pointer

2.Undefined Behavior:
Dereferencing a wild pointer can cause crashes or garbage output.

3.Not NULL:
Wild pointers are different from null pointers, as they point to invalid memory, not NULL.
How to Avoid Wild Pointers:

1.Initialize to NULL:
EX:
int *ptr = NULL;

2.Allocate memory:
EX:
int *ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));

3.Free safely:
EX:
free(ptr); ptr = NULL;
Wild Pointer Example:
4)Dangling Pointer in C:

A dangling pointer is a pointer that points to memory that has been freed or deallocated. Using
a dangling pointer can lead to undefined behavior, such as accessing invalid memory.

Key Points:

1.Cause: Happens when you free memory but don't set the pointer to NULL.
EX:
int *ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int)); free(ptr); // Memory is freed, but ptr still points to the freed memory

2.Problem: Dereferencing a dangling pointer can cause crashes or unexpected behavior.

3.Fix: Set the pointer to NULL after freeing memory.


EX:
free(ptr); // Free memory ptr = NULL; // Avoid dangling pointer
Dangling Pointer Example:
5) Pointer to Pointer / Double Pointers in C:

A pointer to pointer (or double pointer) is a pointer that holds the address of another
pointer.
➢ This is useful when you need to modify the original pointer or deal with dynamically allocated
memory.

Syntax:
int **ptr;
➢ ptr is a pointer that points to another pointer that in turn points to an integer.
Example:
6) Constant Pointers in C:

A constant pointer is a pointer that cannot point to a different memory location after initialization,
but the value it points to can still be changed.

Syntax:
int *const ptr;

➢ ptr is a constant pointer to an integer, meaning ptr can't change its address once assigned.
Example:
7) Pointer to Constant:
A pointer to constant is a pointer that points to a constant value. You cannot modify the
value that the pointer is pointing to, but you can change the address the pointer holds.

Syntax:
const int *ptr;
➢ ptr is a pointer to a constant integer, meaning you cannot change the value at the memory location it
points to.
Example:

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