Data Structures Lab

Recap Pointers

Subin Sahayam, Assistant Professor,

Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Shiv Nadar University
Lab Goals
• Focus on Learning
• Two Member Team
• Save as .cc or .cpp, compile using g++
• Coding Practices
• Copy Policy
• Aim for the Top

K2
Memory Representation
• For example
o int num = 5;
• How is it stored in memory?

K2
Memory Representation
• For example
o int num = 5;
• How is it stored in memory?

num
5
1000

K2
Memory Representation
• For example
o int num = 5;
• How is it stored in memory?

num – Variable name

5 RAM Storage Location
1000 – Variable RAM Address

K2
Memory Representation
• For example
o int num = 5;
• How is it stored in memory?

num – Variable name - Human

5
1000 – Variable RAM Address - Computer

K2
Memory Representation
• For example
o int num = 5;
• How is it stored in memory?
• What is the binary value of 5?

num
5
1000

K2
Memory Representation
• For example
o int num = 5;
• How is it stored in memory?
• What is the binary value of 5? - (101)2
• int is 4 bytes (32 bits) in gcc/g++
num
5
1000

K2
Another Memory Representation
• For example
o int num = 5;
• How is it stored in memory?
• What is the binary value of 5? - (101)2
• int is 4 bytes (32 bits) in gcc/g++
num
5
0000 0000 1000
0000 0000 num
0000 0000
0000 0101

K2
Another Memory Representation
• For example
num
o int num = 5;
5
• How is it stored in memory?
• What is the binary value of 5? - (101)2 1000

• int is 4 bytes (32 bits) in gcc/g++

Little Endian Big Endian

1003 0000 0000 MSB 0000 0000 1000

1002 0000 0000 0000 0000 1001
Offset num
1001 0000 0000 0000 0000 1002
1000 0000 0101 LSB 0000 0101 1003

K2
Questions?
Pointers
• What does a pointer do?

K1
Pointers
• What does a pointer do?
o Points to a memory address and sets an off-set based on the datatype of the pointer
variable.

K1
Pointers
• What does a pointer do?
o Points to a memory address and sets an off-set based on the datatype of the pointer
variable.
• What does that mean?

K1
Pointers
• What does a pointer do?
o Points to a memory address and sets an off-set based on the datatype of the pointer
variable.
• What does that mean?

K1
Pointers
• What does a pointer do?
o Points to a memory address and sets an off-set based on the datatype of the pointer
variable.
• What does that mean?
o Stores an address of another variable (Red)
o Tells how much bytes/words the target variable takes (Green)

K2
Pointers
• Syntax
o datatype *identifier_name;

K1
Pointers
• Syntax
o datatype *identifier_name;
• Example
o int *ptr;
• The empty box stores address of other variables
ptr

1000

K2
Pointers
• Syntax
o datatype *identifier_name;
• Example
o int *ptr;
o int num = 5;
ptr num
5
1000 1008

K2
Pointers
• Syntax
o datatype *identifier_name;
• Example
o int *ptr;
o int num = 5;
o ptr = &num ptr num
1008 5
1000 1008

K2
Pointers
• Syntax
o datatype *identifier_name;
• Example
o int *ptr;
o int num = 5;
o ptr = &num ptr num
• What do you get for? 1008 5
o ptr
1000 1008
o *ptr
o &ptr

K2
Pointers
• Syntax
o datatype *identifier_name;
• Example
o int *ptr;
o int num = 5;
o ptr = &num ptr num
• What do you get for? 1008 5
o ptr - 1008
1000 1008
o *ptr
o &ptr

K2
Pointers
• Syntax
o datatype *identifier_name;
• Example
o int *ptr;
o int num = 5;
o ptr = &num ptr num
• What do you get for? 1008 5
o ptr - 1008
1000 1008
o *ptr -> *(1008) -> 5
o &ptr

K2
Pointers
• Syntax
o datatype *identifier_name;
• Example
o int *ptr;
o int num = 5;
o ptr = &num ptr num
• What do you get for? 1008 5
o ptr - 1008
1000 1008
o *ptr -> *(1008) -> 5
o &ptr - 1000

K2
Pointers
• Syntax
o datatype *identifier_name;
• Example
o int *ptr;
o int num = 5;
o ptr = &num ptr num
• What do you get for? 1008 5
o ptr - 1008
1000 1008
o *ptr -> *(1008) -> 5
o &ptr – 1000
• Try the same for "num" (Homework)
K2
Questions?
Pointers
• Memory Allocation and Deallocation
o Static
o Dynamic

K1
Pointers
• Memory Allocation and Deallocation
o Static – Normal Variable
o Dynamic – malloc, calloc, realloc, free

K1
Pointers
• Memory Allocation and Deallocation
o Static – Normal Variable
 Memory Management – Automatically by the OS
o Dynamic – malloc, calloc, realloc, free

K2
Pointers
• Memory Allocation and Deallocation
o Static – Normal Variable
 Memory Management – Automatically by the OS
o Dynamic – malloc, calloc, realloc, free
§ Memory Management – Manually by the Programmer or Program Termination

K2
Pointers
• Memory Allocation and Deallocation
o Static – Normal Variable
 Memory Management – Automatically by the OS
o Dynamic – malloc, calloc, realloc, free
§ Memory Management – Manually by the Programmer or Program Termination
• malloc Syntax:
o pointer_identifier = (cast_type*) malloc(number_of_bytes);

K1
Pointers
• Example: Normal Example: malloc
• int num = 5; • int *ptr;
• ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));
• *ptr = 5;

K2
Pointers
• Example: Normal Example: malloc
• int num = 5; • int *ptr;
• ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));
• *ptr = 5;
num
5
1000

K2
Pointers
• Example: Normal Example: malloc
• int num = 5; • int *ptr;
• ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));
• *ptr = 5;
num ptr
5 Stores only address
1000 1000

K2
Pointers
• Example: Normal Example: malloc
• int num = 5; • int *ptr;
• ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));
• *ptr = 5;
num ptr
5 2000
1000 1000 2000

K2
Pointers
• Example: Normal Example: malloc
• int num = 5; • int *ptr;
• ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));
• *ptr = 5;
num ptr
5 2000 5
1000 1000 2000

• *ptr => *(2000) => data location

K2
Questions?
Header File Creation
• Hands-on - Hello World

K3
Lab Questions
1. Write a C++ program to find the sum of 'n' integers using only pointers. Maintain proper boundary
conditions and follow coding best practices.
2. Write a C++ program that has functions to calculate the sum, difference, product and difference of two
integer numbers. Maintain proper boundary conditions and follow coding best practices. Do the following
after that,
o Convert the file into a header file. Move it to the current working directory or global location of include
files.
o Include the newly created header file into a new C++ program
o Write a menu driven program in the new C++ program with the following menu,
1. Set
2. Add
3. Subtract
4. Multiply
5. Divide
6. Exit K4
o The set option gets and stores two integers from the user. Other options performs the corresponding
operations on the two set integers and displays the result.
Summary
• Lab Goals
• Memory Representation
• Another Memory Representation
• Pointers
• Header File Creation
• Lab Questions
References
1. Deitel, Harvey M., and Paul J. Deitel. C How to program: with an introduction to
C++, Eighth Edition, Pearson Education, 2018.
THANK YOU