Pointers

This page contains examples of pointers. These examples assume the reader has the following knowledge: compiling C programs, variable creation and assignment, arrays, functions, basic I/O and an understanding of computer memory layout. These examples build from simple to more complex.

Basic Pointers

This example shows simple pointer creation, assignment and dereference. <source lang="c">

1. include <stdio.h>

/*Example showing simple pointer assignment operations.

*/

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

  int *intPtr1;
  int *intPtr2;

  int a = 5;
  int b = 10;

  printf("\nBefore Initializing pointers.");
  printf("\nintPtr1: %d, *intPtr1: %d", intPtr1, *intPtr1);
  printf("\nintPtr2: %d, *intPtr2: %d\n", intPtr2, *intPtr2);

  /*Initialize the pointers*/
  intPtr1 = NULL;
  intPtr2 = NULL;

  printf("\nAfter Initializing pointers to NULL");
  printf("\nintPtr1: %d", intPtr1);
  printf("\nintPtr2: %d\n", intPtr2);

  intPtr1 = &a;
  intPtr2 = &b;

  printf("\nAfter pointing intPtr1 to the address of 'a' and "
        "\npointing intPtr2 to the address of 'b'\n");
  printf("\nintPtr1: %d, *intPtr1: %d", intPtr1, *intPtr1);
  printf("\nintPtr2: %d, *intPtr2: %d", intPtr2, *intPtr2);
  printf("\na: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

  *intPtr1 = 7;
  *intPtr2 = 12;

  printf("\nAfter assigning 7 into the memory location pointed to by "
        "intPtr1 \n and assigning 12 into the memory location pointed to by intPtr2");
  printf("\nintPtr1: %d, *intPtr1: %d", intPtr1, *intPtr1);
  printf("\nintPtr2: %d, *intPtr2: %d", intPtr2, *intPtr2);
  printf("\na: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

  intPtr1 = intPtr2;
  printf("\nAfter storing the memory location of intPtr2 into intPtr1. \nMakes intPtr2 now point to variable 'b' as well");
  printf("\nintPtr1: %d, *intPtr1: %d", intPtr1, *intPtr1);
  printf("\nintPtr2: %d, *intPtr2: %d", intPtr2, *intPtr2);
  printf("\na: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

  *intPtr2 = 10;
  printf("\nAfter assigning '10' into the memory location pointed to by intPtr1 and intPtr2");
  printf("\nintPtr1: %d, *intPtr1: %d", intPtr1, *intPtr1);
  printf("\nintPtr2: %d, *intPtr2: %d", intPtr2, *intPtr2);
  printf("\na: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

  b = 25;
  printf("\nAfter assigning '25' into the variable 'b'");
  printf("\nintPtr1: %d, *intPtr1: %d", intPtr1, *intPtr1);
  printf("\nintPtr2: %d, *intPtr2: %d", intPtr2, *intPtr2);
  printf("\na: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

} </source>

Basic Pointers with Functions

This example shows how pointers can be used in functions. The code gives the reader some questions to consider and answer on their own. <source lang="c">

1. include <stdio.h>

/*Example showing how pointers are used in functions.

*/

/* Only swaps the values within this fuction */ void badSwap(int c, int d); void goodSwap(int *c, int *d); void decrement(int *p); void increment(int *p);

void badSwap(int c, int d) {

  int temp = 0;

  printf("\nbadSwap");

  printf("\n\tBefore swapping in badSwap");
  printf("\n\ttemp: %d, c: %d, d: %d", temp, c, d);

  temp = c;
  c = d;
  d = temp;

  // Why won't this work?
  printf("\n\tAfter swapping in badSwap");
  printf("\n\ttemp: %d, c: %d, d: %d", temp, c, d);

}

/* Swaps the values using pointers*/ void goodSwap(int *c, int *d) {

  int temp = 0;

  printf("\ngoodSwap");

  printf("\n\tBefore swapping in goodSwap");
  printf("\n\ttemp: %d, c: %u, *c: %d, d: %u, *d: %d", temp, c, *c, d, *d);

  temp = *c;
  *c = *d;
  *d = temp;

  // Why does this work?
  printf("\n\tAfter swapping in goodSwap");
  printf("\n\ttemp: %u, c: %u, *c: %d, d: %u, *d: %d", temp, c, *c, d, *d);

}

void badSwap2(int *c, int *d) {

  int *temp = NULL;

  printf("\nbadSwap2");

  printf("\n\tBefore swapping in badSwap2");
  printf("\n\ttemp: %d, c: %u, *c: %d, d: %u, *d: %d", temp, c, *c, d, *d);

  temp = c;
  c = d;
  d = temp;

  // c and d have changed values! Great! Why won't their values be changed when
  // we return?
  printf("\n\tAfter swapping in badSwap2");
  printf("\n\ttemp: %u, c: %u, *c: %d, d: %u, *d: %d", temp, c, *c, d, *d);

}

/*Decrements the value pointed to by p */ void decrement(int *p) {

  // What we want *p = *p - 1;
  (*p)--;
  // What does *p-- do?

}

/*Increments the value pointed to by p*/ void increment(int *p) {

  int temp = p;
  // What we want *p = *p + 1
  (*p)++;
  // What does *p++ do?

  printf("\nincrement");
  printf("\n\t p: %u, *p: %u, &p: %u\n", p, *p, &p);

  p = p + 1;
  printf("\n\t p: %u, *p: %u, &p: %u\n", p, *p, &p);
  p = temp;

  p = *p + 1;
  printf("\n\t p: %u, &p: %u\n", p, &p);
  p = temp;

  p = &p + 1;
  printf("\n\t p: %u, *p: %u, &p: %u\n", p, *p, &p);
  p = temp;

  *p = p + 1;
  printf("\n\t p: %u, *p: %u, &p: %u\n", p, *p, &p);
  p = temp;

  *p = &p + 1;
  printf("\n\t p: %u, *p: %u, &p: %u\n", p, *p, &p);
  p = temp;

}

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

  int *aPtr;
  int *bPtr;

  int a = 5;
  int b = 10;

  /*Initialize the pointers*/
  aPtr = &a;
  bPtr = &b;

  /*Before call to badSwap*/
  printf("\nBefore call to badSwap");
  printf("\n\taPtr: %u, *aPtr: %d", aPtr, *aPtr);
  printf("\n\tbPtr: %u, *bPtr: %d", bPtr, *bPtr);
  printf("\n\ta: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

  badSwap(a, b);
  /* After call to badSwap */
  printf("\n\nAfter call to badSwap");
  printf("\n\taPtr: %u, *aPtr: %d", aPtr, *aPtr);
  printf("\n\tbPtr: %u, *bPtr: %d", bPtr, *bPtr);
  printf("\n\ta: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

  /*Before call to goodSwap*/
  printf("\nBefore call to goodSwap");
  printf("\n\taPtr: %u, *aPtr: %d", aPtr, *aPtr);
  printf("\n\tbPtr: %u, *bPtr: %d", bPtr, *bPtr);
  printf("\n\ta: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

  goodSwap(aPtr, bPtr);
  goodSwap(&a, &b);

  /* After call to goodSwap */
  printf("\n\nAfter call to goodSwap");
  printf("\n\taPtr: %u, *aPtr: %d", aPtr, *aPtr);
  printf("\n\tbPtr: %u, *bPtr: %d", bPtr, *bPtr);
  printf("\n\ta: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

  badSwap2(aPtr, bPtr);
  /* After call to badSwap2*/
  printf("\n\nAfter call to badSwap2");
  printf("\n\taPtr: %u, *aPtr: %d", aPtr, *aPtr);
  printf("\n\tbPtr: %u, *bPtr: %d", bPtr, *bPtr);
  printf("\n\ta: %d, b: %d\n", a, b);

  increment(&a);
  return 0;

}

</source>

Advanced Pointers

These examples show how pointers can be used with malloc to point to blocks of memory. Example:Pointers to structures. Example: Pointers to void. Example: Double, triple, quadruple pointers.

Advanced Pointers with Arrays

Shows how arrays and pointers are really the same thing. Example: Creating an array structure with pointers. Example: Using pointer arithmetic to index array Example: Using pointers to traverse array. Example: Passing arrays to functions using pointers