UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT- ACADEMIC UNITS

FIRST YEAR ENGINEERING PROGRAMMES
Subject Name : Introduction to Problem Solving
Subject Code: 24CSH-101

Pointers:Double pointer, pointer and array, DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER

pointer to array, array of pointers
 Introduction to
Problem Solving

Course Objectives

The course aims to provide exposure to problem-

solving through programming.

The course aims to raise the programming skills

of students via logic building capability.

With knowledge of C programming language,

students would be able to model real world
problems. 2
 Course
Outcomes
CO Course Outcome
Number

CO1 Remember the concepts related to fundamentals of C language,

draw flowcharts and write algorithm/pseudocode.

CO2 Understand the way of execution and debug programs in C lan-

guage.
CO3 Apply various constructs, loops, functions to solve mathematical
and scientific problem.

CO4 Analyze the dynamic behavior of memory by the use of pointers.

CO5 Design and develop modular programs for real world problems us-
ing control structure and selection structure.

3
ASSESSMENT PATTERN
The performance of students is evaluated as follows:

Theory Practical
Continuous Internal As- Semester End Examina- Continuous Internal Semester End Exam-
Components sessment (CAE) tion (SEE) Assessment (CAE) ination (SEE)

Marks 40 60 60 40
Total Marks 100 100

4
Introduction
• We already know that a pointer points to
a location in memory and thus used to
store the address of variables.
• So, when we define a pointer to pointer.
• The first pointer is used to store the
address of the variable.
• And the second pointer is used to store
the address of the first pointer. Source: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/double-pointer-pointer-pointer-c/
• That is why they are also known as
double pointers.
• Syntax:
int **ptr; // declaring double pointers

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• Below diagram explains the concept of Double Pointers:

Source: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/double-pointer-pointer-pointer-c/

• The above diagram shows the memory representation of a pointer to pointer. The first pointer ptr1 stores
the address of the variable and the second pointer ptr2 stores the address of the first pointer.

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Example:
#include <stdio.h>
// C program to demonstrate pointer to pointer
int main()
{
int var = 789;
Output:
// pointer for var
Value of var = 789
int *ptr2;
Value of var using single pointer = 789
// double pointer for ptr2
Value of var using double pointer = 789
int **ptr1;
// storing address of var in ptr2
ptr2 = &var;
// Storing address of ptr2 in ptr1
ptr1 = &ptr2;
// Displaying value of var using both single and double pointers
printf("Value of var = %d\n", var );
printf("Value of var using single pointer = %d\n", *ptr2 );
printf("Value of var using double pointer = %d\n", **ptr1);
return 0;
}
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Pointer Arithmetic
• We can perform arithmetic operations on the pointers like addition, subtraction,
etc.
• However, as we know that pointer contains the address, the result of an
arithmetic operation performed on the pointer will also be a pointer if the other
operand is of type integer.
• In pointer-from-pointer subtraction, the result will be an integer value.
• Following arithmetic operations are possible on the pointer in C language:
1. Increment
2. Decrement
3. Addition
4. Subtraction
5. Comparison
8
Incrementing Pointer in C
• If we increment a pointer by 1, the pointer will start pointing to the
immediate next location.
• This is somewhat different from the general arithmetic since the value of
the pointer will get increased by the size of the data type to which the
pointer is pointing.
• We can traverse an array by using the increment operation on a pointer
which will keep pointing to every element of the array, perform some
operation on that, and update itself in a loop.
• The Rule to increment the pointer is given below:
new_address= current_address + i * size_of(data type)
where i is the number by which the pointer get increased.
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Example: Traversing an array by using pointer
#include<stdio.h>
void main ()
{
int arr[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
int *p = arr;
int i;
printf("printing array elements...\n");
Note:
for(i = 0; i< 5; i++)
32-bit
{ For 32-bit int variable, it will be incremented by 2 bytes.
printf("%d ",*(p+i));
} 64-bit
For 64-bit int variable, it will be incremented by 4 bytes.
}
Output:
printing array elements...
1 2 3 4 5
10
Decrementing Pointer in C
• Like increment, we can decrement a pointer variable.
• If we decrement a pointer, it will start pointing to the previous
location.
• The formula of decrementing the pointer is given below:
new_address= current_address - i * size_of(data type)
• Note:
32-bit: For 32-bit int variable, it will be decremented by 2 bytes.
64-bit: For 64-bit int variable, it will be decremented by 4 bytes.

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Example: Decrementing pointer variable on 64-bit OS.
#include <stdio.h>
void main(){
int number=50;
int *p;//pointer to int
p=&number;//stores the address of number variable
printf("Address of p variable is %u \n",p);
p=p-1;
printf("After decrement: Address of p variable is %u \n",p); // P will now point
to the immediate previous location.
}
Output:
Address of p variable is 3214864300
After decrement: Address of p variable is 3214864296
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C Pointer Addition
• We can add a value to the pointer variable.

• The formula of adding value to pointer is given below:

new_address= current_address + (number * size_of(data type))

• Note:
32-bit: For 32-bit int variable, it will add 2 * number.
64-bit: For 64-bit int variable, it will add 4 * number.

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Example: Adding value to pointer variable on 64-bit architecture.
#include<stdio.h>
int main(){
int number=50;
int *p;//pointer to int
p=&number;//stores the address of number variable
printf("Address of p variable is %u \n",p);
p=p+3; //adding 3 to pointer variable
printf("After adding 3: Address of p variable is %u \n",p);
return 0;
}
Output:
Address of p variable is 3214864300
After adding 3: Address of p variable is 3214864312

• As you can see, the address of p is 3214864300. But after adding 3 with p variable, it is
3214864312, i.e., 4*3=12 increment. Since we are using 64-bit architecture, it increments 12.
But if we were using 32-bit architecture, it was incrementing to 6 only, i.e., 2*3=6. As integer
value occupies 2-byte memory in 32-bit OS.
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C Pointer Subtraction
• Like pointer addition, we can subtract a value from the pointer variable.
Subtracting any number from a pointer will give an address.

• The formula of subtracting value from the pointer variable is given below:
new_address= current_address - (number * size_of(data type))

• Note:
32-bit:For 32-bit int variable, it will subtract 2 * number.
64-bit:For 64-bit int variable, it will subtract 4 * number.

15
Example: Subtracting value from the pointer variable on 64-bit architecture.

#include<stdio.h>
int main(){
int number=50;
int *p;//pointer to int
p=&number;//stores the address of number variable
printf("Address of p variable is %u \n",p);
p=p-3; //subtracting 3 from pointer variable
printf("After subtracting 3: Address of p variable is %u \n",p);
return 0;
}
Output:
Address of p variable is 3214864300
After subtracting 3: Address of p variable is 3214864288

• You can see after subtracting 3 from the pointer variable, it is 12 (4*3) less than the previous address value.
• However, instead of subtracting a number, we can also subtract an address from another address (pointer).
• This will result in a number.
• It will not be a simple arithmetic operation, but it will follow the following rule.

16
• If two pointers are of the same type,
Address2 - Address1 = (Subtraction of two addresses)/size of data type which pointer
points
• Consider the following example to subtract one pointer from an another.
#include<stdio.h>
void main ()
{
int i = 100;
int *p = &i;
int *temp;
temp = p;
p = p + 3;
printf("Pointer Subtraction: %d - %d = %d",p, temp, p-temp);
}
Output:
Pointer Subtraction: 1030585080 - 1030585068 = 3
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Illegal arithmetic with pointers
• There are various operations which can not be performed on pointers.
• Since, pointer stores address hence we must ignore the operations which may
lead to an illegal address, for example, addition, and multiplication.
• A list of such operations is given below.
 Address + Address = illegal
 Address * Address = illegal
 Address % Address = illegal
 Address / Address = illegal
 Address & Address = illegal
 Address ^ Address = illegal
 Address | Address = illegal
 ~Address = illegal
18
Summary

Declaring Pointer to Pointer

When an array is declared,
is similar to declaring We can perform arithmetic
compiler allocates sufficient
pointer in C. The difference operations on the pointers
amount of memory to
is we have to place an like addition, subtraction,
contain all the elements of
additional ‘*’ before the etc.
the array.
name of pointer.

Base address i.e address of

You cannot decrement a
the first element of the
pointer once incremented.
array is also allocated by the
p-- won't work
compiler.

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Frequently Asked question
Q1:Write a C program to Biggest value in the array using pointers in C
Solution:
#include <stdio.h> for (c = 1; c < size; c++)
int main() {
{ if (*(array+c) > *maximum)
long array[100], *maximum, size, c, location = 1; {
printf("Enter the number of elements in array\n"); *maximum = *(array+c);
scanf("%ld", &size); location = c+1;
printf("Enter %ld integers\n", size); }
for ( c = 0 ; c < size ; c++ ) }
scanf("%ld", &array[c]); printf("Maximum element is present at location
maximum = array; number %ld and it's value is %ld.\n", location,
*maximum = *array; *maximum);
return 0;
}

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2) Write C Program to Add Two Numbers Using Pointer
Solution:
#include<stdio.h>
int main() {
int *ptr1, *ptr2;
int num;
printf("\nEnter two numbers : ");
scanf("%d %d", ptr1, ptr2); Output:
num = *ptr1 + *ptr2;
printf("Sum = %d", num);
return (0);
}

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• Output:

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Q3) What is “&” and “*” operators in C?
Ans:
1. “*” Operator is used as pointer to a variable. Example: * a where * is
pointer to the variable a.
2. & operator is used to get the address of the variable. Example: &a will give
address of a.

Q4) WHAT IS VOID POINTER IN C?

Ans:
3. Void pointer is a generic pointer that can be used to point another variable of
any data type.
4. Void pointer can store the address of variable belonging to any of the data type.
So, void pointer is also called as general purpose pointer.

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 Assessment Questions:
1. C Program to compute sum of the array elements using pointers ?
2. Write a C program to Find transpose of a matrix.
3. Write a C program to find the length of string using pointers.
4. What will be the output of the C program?
#include<stdio.h>
#include<string.h>
int main(){
char *ptr = "hello";
char a[22];
*ptr = "world";
printf("\n%s %s",ptr, a);
return 0;
}
5. What will be the output of the C program?
#include<stdio.h>
int main(){
int i = 3;
int *j;
int **k;
j = &i;
k = &j;
k++;
printf("%d ",**k);
return 0;
}
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Discussion forum.
• C Program to read integers into an array and reversing them using
pointers

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 REFERENCES
Reference Books
1. Programming in C by Reema Thareja.
2. Programming in ANSI C by E. Balaguruswamy, Tata McGraw Hill.
3. Programming with C (Schaum's Outline Series) by Byron Gottfried Jitender
Chhabra, Tata McGraw Hill.
4. The C Programming Language by Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis Ritchie, Pearson
education.

Websites:
5. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/double-pointer-pointer-pointer-c/
6. https://www.javatpoint.com/pointer-arithmetic-in-c#:~:text=%E2%86%92%20%E2%86%90
%20prev-,Pointer%20Arithmetic%20in%20C,operand%20is%20of%20type%20integer.&text
=Subtraction,-Comparison
7. https://www.studytonight.com/c/pointers-with-array.php

YouTube Links:
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahKfY1EsWd8&t=1s
9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYuqC9UD4GI
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10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKKvGYAX_Zs
THANK YOU