Collage of Engineering (COE) EEEB114: Programming For Engineers

LAB 8: Pointer
Student Name: Student ID: Section:

8.1) LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this lab session, you should be able to:
Explain the concept of pointers, pointer declaration and control.
Understand pointer operator (& and *) and parameter passing by pointers.
Demonstrate pointer variable declarations and the use of it, including for parameter
passing by reference (CO8).

8.2) PRE LAB ASSIGNMENT

Read 8.3.

8.3) BACKGROUND
A pointer variable does not store a value but store the address of the memory space which
contain the value i.e. it directly points to a specific memory address.

Why would we want to use pointers?

a) To call a function by reference so that the data passed to the function can be changed
inside the function.
b) To create a dynamic data structure which can grow larger or smaller as necessary.

A pointer declaration such as:

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int *numberPtr; which declares numberptr as a variable that points to an integer variable.
Its content is a memory address. The * indicates that the variable being declared is a pointer
variable instead of a normal variable.

When a pointer is created, it is not pointing to any valid memory address. Therefore, we need
to assign it to a variables address by using the & operator. This operator is called a reference
operator. For e.g.:

#include <stdio.h>

main()
{
int number = 20;
int *numberPtr;
numberPtr = &number;
printf("\nnumber = %d\n", *numberPtr);
}

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The statement numberPtr = &number assigns the address of the variable number to a pointer
variable numberPtr. Variable numberPtr is then said as to point to variable number. Observe
the value in numberPtr is the address of number.

After a pointer is assigned to a particular address, the value in the pointed address can be
accessed/modified using the * operator. This operator is commonly called as the indirection
operator or dereferencing operator.

A function may return multiple values by declaring their formal parameters (passing value) as
pointers variables. This way of passing the argument is known as call by reference. When the
value referenced by the pointer is changed inside the function, the value in the actual variable
will also change. Therefore, we can pass the result of the function through the function argument
without having to use the return statement. When a pointer is passed to a function, we are
actually passing the address of a variable to the function. Since we have the address, we can

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directly manipulate the data in the address. In the case where a non-pointer variable is passed,
the function will create another space in memory to hold the value locally while the program is
inside the function. Therefore, any change to the variable inside the function will not change the
actual value of the variable.

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8.4) IN LAB ACTIVITIES

Activity A: Pointer Operations

1. Type and execute the program shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

2. Print screen the output of the program.

3. Based on output in step 2, complete the following:

Value of a: Value of b:
Memory address of a: Memory address of b:

4. Describe the function of * in line 9.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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5. Describe the function of & in line 11.

___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Activity B: Pointers Operation

1. Copy and paste program shown in Figure 2.

#include <stdio.h>

main()
{
int num = 3, *numptr1, *numptr2;

numptr1 = &num;
numptr2 = &num;

printf("%d\n%d.\n",*numptr1,*numptr2);

Figure 2

2. Execute the program and print screen the output obtained.

3. Recalling Activity A, determine the following:

Value of num: ________________
Value of numptr1: ________________
Value of numptr2: ________________
Memory address of num: ________________
Memory address of numptr1: ________________
Memory address of numptr2: ________________

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Activity C: Pointers Operation

1. Copy and paste program shown in Figure 3.

#include <stdio.h>

main()
{
int num = 3, *numptr1, *numptr2;

numptr1 = &num;
numptr2 = NULL;

printf("%d\n",num);
printf("%d\n",&num);
printf("%d\n",*&num);

printf("%d\n",numptr1);
printf("%d\n",&numptr1);
printf("%d\n",&*numptr1);

printf("%d\n",numptr2);
printf("%d\n",&numptr2);
printf("%d\n",&*numptr2);
}

Figure 3

2. Execute the program and print screen the output obtained.

3. Delete & in the last statement, refer to line 20 in Figure 4.

Figure 4

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4. Print screen the output and explain what is the function of & in line 20.

Activity D: Pointer Arithmetic

1. Copy and paste program shown in Figure 5.

#include <stdio.h>

main()
{
int x = 10,y = 20,z = 30,*xptr, *yptr, *zptr;

xptr = &x;
yptr = &y;

printf("The value of xptr is %d.\n",*xptr);

printf("The value of yptr is %d.\n",*yptr);

zptr = yptr;
printf("The value of zptr is %d.\n",*zptr);

*zptr = 40;
printf("The value of zptr is %d.\n",*zptr);

y = *zptr;
printf("The value of y is %d.\n",y);

*zptr = *yptr + 10;

printf("The value of zptr is %d.\n",*zptr);

yptr = &z;
printf("The value of yptr is %d.\n",*yptr);
}

Figure 5
2. Print screen the output.

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Activity E: Call by Reference

1. Copy and paste program shown in Figure 6.

#include <stdio.h>

void FuncByReference (int *);

main()
{
int num = 89212020;

printf("Number to start with: %d\n",num);

printf("Address before call: %x\n",&num);

FuncByReference(&num);

printf("\nNumber after call: %d\n",num);

printf("Address after call: %x\n",&num);
}

void FuncByReference (int *numptr)

{
printf("\nNumber from main function:%d\n", *numptr);
*numptr = 1300882525;
}

Figure 6

2. Print screen the output.

3. Explain why there is a new value is returned from FuncByReference although there is no
return.

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Activity F: Function Passed by Value and Address

1. Copy and paste program shown in Figure 7. Execute the program and enter any values for
length, width and depth (integer only).

#include <stdio.h>

main()
{
int length, width, depth, volume;

FuncGetInput (&length, &width, &depth);

FuncCalcVolume (&length, &width, &depth, &volume);
FuncDisplayVolume (&volume);
}

FuncGetInput (int *length, int *width, int *depth)

{
printf("\nEnter the length:");
scanf("%d", &*length);
printf("\nEnter the width:");
scanf("%d", &*width);
printf("\nEnter the depth:");
scanf("%d", &*depth);
return;
}

FuncCalcVolume (int *length, int *width, int *depth, int *volume)

{
*volume = (*length)*(*width)*(*depth);
return;
}

FuncDisplayVolume (int *volume)

{
printf("\nThe volume is %d.\n", *volume);
return;
}

Figure 7

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2. Print screen the output.

8.5) STATE YOUR LEARNING CURVE

Note: conclude what youve learned from this lab activity.

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