Understanding and Using C Pointers by Reese, Richard -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Understanding and Using C Pointers Preface

Why This Book Is Different The Approach Audience Organization Summary Conventions Used in This Book Using Code Examples Safari® Books Online How to Contact Us

1. Introduction

Pointers and Memory

Why You Should Become Proficient with Pointers Declaring Pointers How to Read a Declaration Address of Operator Displaying Pointer Values

Virtual memory and pointers

Dereferencing a Pointer Using the Indirection Operator Pointers to Functions The Concept of Null

To NULL or not to NULL Pointer to void Global and static pointers

Pointer Size and Types

Memory Models Predefined Pointer-Related Types

Understanding size_t Using the sizeof operator with pointers Using intptr_t and uintptr_t

Pointer Operators

Pointer Arithmetic

Adding an integer to a pointer Pointers to void and addition Subtracting an integer from a pointer Subtracting two pointers

Comparing Pointers

Common Uses of Pointers

Multiple Levels of Indirection Constants and Pointers

Pointers to a constant Constant pointers to nonconstants Constant pointers to constants Pointer to (constant pointer to constant)

Summary

2. Dynamic Memory Management in C

Dynamic Memory Allocation

Memory Leaks

Losing the address Hidden memory leaks

Dynamic Memory Allocation Functions

Using the malloc Function

To cast or not to cast Failing to allocate memory Not using the right size for the malloc function Determining the amount of memory allocated Using malloc with static and global pointers

Using the calloc Function Using the realloc Function The alloca Function and Variable Length Arrays

Deallocating Memory Using the free Function

Assigning NULL to a Freed Pointer Double Free The Heap and System Memory Freeing Memory upon Program Termination

Dangling Pointers

Dangling Pointer Examples Dealing with Dangling Pointers Debug Version Support for Detecting Memory Leaks

Dynamic Memory Allocation Technologies

Garbage Collection in C Resource Acquisition Is Initialization Using Exception Handlers

Summary

3. Pointers and Functions

Program Stack and Heap

Program Stack Organization of a Stack Frame

Passing and Returning by Pointer

Passing Data Using a Pointer Passing Data by Value Passing a Pointer to a Constant Returning a Pointer Pointers to Local Data Passing Null Pointers Passing a Pointer to a Pointer

Writing your own free function

Function Pointers

Declaring Function Pointers Using a Function Pointer Passing Function Pointers Returning Function Pointers Using an Array of Function Pointers Comparing Function Pointers Casting Function Pointers

Summary

4. Pointers and Arrays

Quick Review of Arrays

One-Dimensional Arrays Two-Dimensional Arrays Multidimensional Arrays

Pointer Notation and Arrays

Differences Between Arrays and Pointers

Using malloc to Create a One-Dimensional Array Using the realloc Function to Resize an Array Passing a One-Dimensional Array

Using Array Notation Using Pointer Notation

Using a One-Dimensional Array of Pointers Pointers and Multidimensional Arrays Passing a Multidimensional Array Dynamically Allocating a Two-Dimensional Array

Allocating Potentially Noncontiguous Memory Allocating Contiguous Memory

Jagged Arrays and Pointers Summary

5. Pointers and Strings

String Fundamentals

String Declaration The String Literal Pool

When a string literal is not a constant

String Initialization

Initializing an array of char Initializing a pointer to a char Initializing a string from standard input Summary of string placement

Standard String Operations

Comparing Strings Copying Strings Concatenating Strings

Passing Strings

Passing a Simple String Passing a Pointer to a Constant char Passing a String to Be Initialized Passing Arguments to an Application

Returning Strings

Returning the Address of a Literal Returning the Address of Dynamically Allocated Memory

Returning the address of a local string

Function Pointers and Strings Summary

6. Pointers and Structures

Introduction

How Memory Is Allocated for a Structure

Structure Deallocation Issues Avoiding malloc/free Overhead Using Pointers to Support Data Structures

Single-Linked List Using Pointers to Support a Queue Using Pointers to Support a Stack Using Pointers to Support a Tree Summary

7. Security Issues and the Improper Use of Pointers

Pointer Declaration and Initialization

Improper Pointer Declaration Failure to Initialize a Pointer Before It Is Used Dealing with Uninitialized Pointers

Pointer Usage Issues

Test for NULL Misuse of the Dereference Operator Dangling Pointers Accessing Memory Outside the Bounds of an Array Calculating the Array Size Incorrectly Misusing the sizeof Operator Always Match Pointer Types Bounded Pointers String Security Issues Pointer Arithmetic and Structures Function Pointer Issues

Memory Deallocation Issues

Double Free Clearing Sensitive Data

Using Static Analysis Tools Summary

8. Odds and Ends

Casting Pointers

Accessing a Special Purpose Address Accessing a Port Accessing Memory using DMA Determining the Endianness of a Machine

Aliasing, Strict Aliasing, and the restrict Keyword

Using a Union to Represent a Value in Multiple Ways Strict Aliasing Using the restrict Keyword

Threads and Pointers

Sharing Pointers Between Threads Using Function Pointers to Support Callbacks

Object-Oriented Techniques

Creating and Using an Opaque Pointer Polymorphism in C

Summary

Index About the Author Colophon Copyright

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