C Pointers

C Pointers

When we initialize an array, we usually come to know about:

• Memory block: The space a variable gets in RAM. We can think of that space as a block.
• Name of the memory block: The variable’s name itself.
• Content of that block: The value stored in that variable.
• Address of the memory block: A unique address that allows us to access that variable.

What is a Pointer?

• Pointer is a variable that contains the address of another variable. It means, it is a variable that points to any other variable.
• Although this is itself a variable, this contains the address or memory address of any other variable.
• It can be of type int, char, array, function, or even any other pointer.
• Its size depends on the architecture.
• Pointers in C Language can be declared using *(asterisk symbol).

So, pointers are nothing but variables that store addresses of other variables, and by using pointers, we can access other variables too and can even manipulate them.

Applications of Pointers

• Pointers are used to dynamically allocate or deallocate memory using methods such as malloc(), realloc(), calloc(), and free().
• Pointers are used to point to several containers such as arrays, or structs, and also for passing addresses of containers to functions.
• Return multiple values from a function.
• Rather than passing a copy of a container to a function, we can simply pass its pointer. This helps reduce the memory usage of the program.
• Pointer reduces the code and improves the performance.