Pointers and Dynamic Memory

Allocation
 Dynamic Data
Suppose we write a program to keep
track of a list of students
How many student records should we
create?
What if we create too few?
What if we create too many?

Wouldnt it be nice to create just as many

as we need?!
 Pointer Review
1. What is a pointer?
2. How does one declare a pointer variable?
3. If all pointers store an address, why must a data type
be associated with a pointer?
4. What values are associated with a pointer?
5. When using indirection, what steps are followed to get
the specified value *ptr in the ex. below?
ie) int *ptr, x, y = 5;

ptr = &y;
x = *ptr;
 Pointers to Structures
Declare a pointer to a structure of type
inventory_item
 Pointers to Structures
Declare a pointer to a structure of type
inventory_item
inventory_item *shirts;

Store 1234 in the id field

 Pointers to Structures
Declare a pointer to a structure of type
inventory_item
inventory_item *shirts;

Store 1234 in the id member field

(*shirts).id = 1234;
 Pointers to Structures
Declare a pointer to a structure of type
inventory_item
inventory_item *shirts;

Store 1234 in the id member field

(*shirts).id = 1234;
shirts->id = 1234;
 Dynamic Memory Allocation
Stack: Area where function data is
allocated and reclaimed as program
executed
Heap: Area C sets aside assuming that the
programmer will ask for more memory as
program executes
 Dynamic Memory Allocation
malloc()
allocate a chunk of memory large enough to
store an int
returns first address of location reserved
need to cast address to a valid type
malloc(5)
malloc(sizeof(int))
malloc(sizeof(struct_type))
malloc(10*sizeof(int))

free(var_name)
free up the memory pointed to by var_name
 Examples
int *int_ptr;
int_ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));

inventory_item *shirts;
 Examples
int *int_ptr;
int_ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));

inventory_item *shirts;
shirts = (inventory_item*)malloc(sizeof(inventory_item);
(*shirts).id = 1234;
shirts->cost = 20.00;
 Examples
int *int_ptr;
int_ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));

inventory_item *shirts;
shirts = (inventory_item*)malloc(sizeof(inventory_item);
(*shirts).id = 1234;
shirts->cost = 20.00;

free(int_ptr);
free(shirts);