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Pointers in C

Pointers in C are variables that store memory addresses, allowing efficient manipulation of memory and data structures. They can be declared, initialized, and used for operations such as dereferencing, pointer arithmetic, and passing data to functions. Mastering pointers is essential for effective C programming, particularly in dynamic memory allocation and system-level programming.

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9 views6 pages

Pointers in C

Pointers in C are variables that store memory addresses, allowing efficient manipulation of memory and data structures. They can be declared, initialized, and used for operations such as dereferencing, pointer arithmetic, and passing data to functions. Mastering pointers is essential for effective C programming, particularly in dynamic memory allocation and system-level programming.

Uploaded by

rajmohd mohd
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Pointers in C

Introduction to Pointers

A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable. Instead of holding a data

value directly, a pointer "points" to the location where a value is stored. This is a powerful feature in

C programming as it allows for efficient manipulation of memory and data structures.

Declaration and Initialization of Pointers

To declare a pointer, use the * operator along with the data type:

int *ptr; // Pointer to an integer

To initialize a pointer, use the address-of operator &:

int num = 10;

int *ptr = # // ptr now holds the address of num

Basic Pointer Operations

Pointers can be used to:

- Access the value of the variable it points to (dereferencing)

- Modify the value at a specific memory address

- Perform arithmetic operations on addresses

Example 1: Basic Pointer Declaration and Dereferencing

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

int num = 20;

int *ptr = &num; // Pointer to num

printf("Value of num: %d\n", num);

printf("Address of num: %p\n", &num);


printf("Value at ptr (dereferencing): %d\n", *ptr);

return 0;

Pointer Arithmetic

Pointer arithmetic is a way to move through arrays and memory. When adding or subtracting to a

pointer, it moves in steps of the data type it points to.

Example 2: Pointer Arithmetic with Integer Array

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

int arr[] = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50};

int *ptr = arr;

for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {

printf("Element %d: %d\n", i, *ptr);

ptr++; // Move to the next element

return 0;

Pointers and Arrays

An array name itself acts like a pointer to the first element, making array elements accessible via

pointer arithmetic.

Example 3: Accessing Array Elements Using Pointers

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
int arr[] = {5, 10, 15, 20};

int *ptr = arr;

for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {

printf("Element %d: %d\n", i, *(ptr + i));

return 0;

Pointers and Functions

Pointers are often used in functions for:

1. Passing data by reference (e.g., for modifying values)

2. Efficiently passing large data structures like arrays

Example 4: Swapping Two Numbers Using Pointers

#include <stdio.h>

void swap(int *a, int *b) {

int temp = *a;

*a = *b;

*b = temp;

int main() {

int x = 10, y = 20;

printf("Before swap: x = %d, y = %d\n", x, y);

swap(&x, &y);

printf("After swap: x = %d, y = %d\n", x, y);

return 0;

}
Pointers to Pointers

A pointer to a pointer is used for handling multidimensional arrays and memory management in

dynamic data structures.

Example 5: Pointer to Pointer

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

int num = 30;

int *ptr = &num;

int **pptr = &ptr;

printf("Value of num: %d\n", num);

printf("Value using *ptr: %d\n", *ptr);

printf("Value using **pptr: %d\n", **pptr);

return 0;

Dynamic Memory Allocation Using Pointers

Dynamic memory allocation functions like malloc, calloc, and free in C make use of pointers for

managing memory at runtime.

Example 6: Dynamic Memory Allocation with malloc and free

#include <stdio.h>

#include <stdlib.h>

int main() {

int *ptr;

int n = 5;
ptr = (int *)malloc(n * sizeof(int));

if (ptr == NULL) {

printf("Memory allocation failed.\n");

return 1;

for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {

ptr[i] = i + 1;

printf("Value at ptr[%d]: %d\n", i, ptr[i]);

free(ptr);

return 0;

Advanced Examples

Example 7: Pointer to an Array of Pointers (2D Array)

#include <stdio.h>

#include <stdlib.h>

int main() {

int rows = 3, cols = 4;

int **matrix = (int **)malloc(rows * sizeof(int *));

for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++) {

matrix[i] = (int *)malloc(cols * sizeof(int));

for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++) {

for (int j = 0; j < cols; j++) {

matrix[i][j] = i * cols + j;

}
}

for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++) {

for (int j = 0; j < cols; j++) {

printf("%d ", matrix[i][j]);

printf("\n");

for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++) {

free(matrix[i]);

free(matrix);

return 0;

Conclusion

Pointers in C provide a powerful way to access and manipulate memory. Mastering pointers is

crucial for effective C programming, especially for dynamic memory allocation, data structures, and

system-level programming.

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