Arrays and Pointers in C

Alan L. Cox
alc@rice.edu
Objectives
Be able to use arrays, pointers, and strings in
C programs
Be able to explain the representation o these
data types at the machine level, including
their similarities and dierences
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 2
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 3
Arrays in C
!o bounds chec"ing#
Allo$ed % usually causes no error
array&'() may over$rite b
*nli"e +ava, array si,e in declaration
int array[10];
int b;
array[0] = 3;
array[9] = 4;
array[10] = 5;
array[-1] = 6;
Compare- C- int array[10];
+ava- int[] array = new int[10];
All elements o same type % homogenous
.irst element /index (0
Last element /index si,e 1 '0
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 4
Array 2epresentation
3omogeneous 4ach element same si,e % s bytes

An array o m data values is a se5uence o m s bytes

6ndexing- (
th
value at byte s (, '
st
value at byte s ', 7
m and s are not part o representation

*nli"e in some other languages

s "no$n by compiler % usually irrelevant to programmer

m oten "no$n by compiler % i not, must be saved by

programmer
a[0]
a[1]
a[2]
0x1000
0x1004
0x1008
int a[3];
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 5
Array 2epresentation
char c1;
int a[3];
char c2;
int i;
c1
a[0]
a[1]
a[2]
i
0x1000
0x1004
0x1008
0x100C
0x1014
c2 0x1010
Could be optimi,ed
by ma"ing these
adjacent, and
reducing padding
/by deault, not0
Array aligned by
si,e o elements
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 6
Array 8i,es
9hat is
sizeof(array[3]):
sizeof(array):
int array[10];
;
;(
returns the size of
an object in bytes
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 7
<ulti1=imensional Arrays
int atri![2][3];
atri![1][0] = 1";
atri![0][0]
atri![0][1]
atri![0][2]
0x1000
0x1004
0x1008
atri![1][0]
atri![1][1]
atri![1][2]
0x100C
0x1010
0x1014
2ecall- no bounds chec"ing
9hat happens $hen you $rite-
atri![0][3] = 42;
Row Major
Organization
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers
>ariable1Length Arrays
int
f#nction(int n)
$
int array[n];
%
New C99 feature: Variable-length arrays
efine within functions
!lobal arrays "ust still ha#e fixe $constant% length
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers !
<emory Addresses
8torage cells are typically vie$ed as being
byte1si,ed

*sually the smallest addressable unit o memory

& .e$ machines can directly address bits individually

8uch addresses are sometimes called byte-

addresses
<emory is oten accessed as $ords

*sually a $ord is the largest unit o memory

access by a single machine instruction
&
CL4A2?s $ord si,e is @ bytes /A sizeof(&on')0

A word-address is simply the byte1address o the

$ord?s irst byte
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers "#
Pointers
8pecial case o bounded1si,e natural numbers

<aximum memory limited by processor $ord1si,e

B
CB
bytes A ;DB, B
E;
bytes A 'E exabytes
A pointer is just another "ind o value

A basic type in C
int ()tr;
The variable ptr is a pointer to an int.
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers ""
Pointer Operations in C
Creation
& variable 2eturns variable?s memory address
=ereerence
* pointer 2eturns contents stored at address
6ndirect assignment
* pointer = val 8tores value at address
O course, still have...
Assignment
pointer = ptr 8tores pointer in another variable
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers "2
*sing Pointers
int i1;
int i2;
int ()tr1;
int ()tr2;
i1 = 1;
i2 = 2;
)tr1 = *i1;
)tr2 = )tr1;
()tr1 = 3;
i2 = ()tr2;
i1+
i2+
)tr1+
0x1000
0x1004
0x1008
%
)tr2+
%
0x100C
0x1010
0x1014
1
2
0!1000
0!1000
3
3
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers "3
*sing Pointers /cont.0
Fype chec" $arning- int,)tr2 is not an int
int1 becomes @
int int1 = 1036; -( soe .ata to )oint to (-
int int2 = /;
int (int,)tr1 = *int1; -( 'et a..resses of .ata (-
int (int,)tr2 = *int2;
(int,)tr1 = int,)tr2;
(int,)tr1 = int2;
9hat happens:
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers "4
*sing Pointers /cont.0
Fype chec" $arning- (int,)tr2 is not an int (
Changes int,)tr1 % doesn?t change int1
int int1 = 1036; -( soe .ata to )oint to (-
int int2 = /;
int (int,)tr1 = *int1; -( 'et a..resses of .ata (-
int (int,)tr2 = *int2;
int,)tr1 = (int,)tr2;
int,)tr1 = int,)tr2;
9hat happens:
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers "5
Pointer Arithmetic
pointer G number pointer % number
4.g., pointer 0 1 adds ' something to a pointer
char ();
char a;
char b;
) = *a;
) 0= 1;
int ();
int a;
int b;
) = *a;
) 0= 1;
6n each, p no$ points to b
/Assuming compiler doesn?t
reorder variables in memory0
Adds 'Hsi,eo/char0 to
the memory address
Adds 'Hsi,eo/int0 to
the memory address
Pointer arithmetic should be used cautiously
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers "6
Fhe 8implest Pointer in C
8pecial constant pointer 1233

Points to no data

=ereerencing illegal % causes segmentation fault

Fo deine, include 4st.&ib5h6 or 4st.io5h6

Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers "7
Deneric Pointers
void H- a Ipointer to anythingJ
Lose all inormation about $hat type o thing
is pointed to

2educes eectiveness o compiler?s type1chec"ing

Can?t use pointer arithmetic

7oi. ();
int i;
char c;
) = *i;
) = *c;
)#tchar(((char ()));
type cast- tells the compiler to
IchangeJ an object?s type /or
type chec"ing purposes % does
not modiy the object in any $ay0
=angerous# 8ometimes
necessary7
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers "
Pass1by12eerence
7oi.
set,!,an.,y(int (!8
int (y)
$
(! = 1001;
(y = 1002;
9
7oi.
f(7oi.)
$
int a = 1;
int b = 2;
set,!,an.,y(*a8*b);
9
1
'
a
b
!
y
1001
100'
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers "!
Arrays and Pointers
=irty IsecretJ-
Array name a pointer to the
initial /(th0 array element
a[i] ((a0i)
An array is passed to a unction
as a pointer

Fhe array si,e is lost#

*sually bad style to interchange
arrays and pointers

Avoid pointer arithmetic#

Really int (array
int
foo(int array[]8
#nsi'ne. int size)
$
% array[size - 1] %
9
int
ain(7oi.)
$
int a[10]8 b[5];
% foo(a8 10)% foo(b8 5) %
9
(ust ex)licitly
)ass the size
*assing arrays:
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 2#
Arrays and Pointers
int
foo(int array[]8
#nsi'ne. int size)
$
%
)rintf(:;.<n=8 sizeof(array));
9
int
ain(7oi.)
$
int a[10]8 b[5];
% foo(a8 10)% foo(b8 5) %
)rintf(:;.<n=8 sizeof(a));
9
What does this print?
What does this print?

4#
... because array is really
a pointer
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 2"
Arrays and Pointers
int i;
int array[10];
for (i = 0; i 4 10; i00)
$
array[i] = %;
9
int ();
int array[10];
for () = array; ) 4 *array[10]; )00)
$
() = %;
9
These two blocks of code are functionally equivalent
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 22
8trings
6n C, strings are just an array o characters

Ferminated $ith KL(? character

Arrays or bounded1length strings

Pointer or constant strings /or un"no$n length0

char str1[15] = :>e&&o8 wor&.?<n=;
char (str2 = :>e&&o8 wor&.?<n=;
> e & & o 8 w & o r . ?<n
length
> e & & o 8 w & o r . ?<n
ter"inator
*ascal+ ,a#a+ -
C+ -
C ter"inator: @<0@
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 23
8tring length
<ust calculate length-
Provided by standard C library- Ainc&#.e 4strin'5h6
int
str&en(char str[])
$
int &en = 0;
whi&e (str[&en] ?= B<0@)
&en00;
ret#rn (&en);
9
can pass an
array or pointer
Chec" or
terminator
array access
to pointer#
9hat is the si,e
o the array:::
Pointer to Pointer /char HHargv0
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 24
Passing arguments to main-
int
ain(int ar'c8 char ((ar'7)
$
555
9
an arrayMvector o
char H
2ecall $hen passing an
array, a pointer to the
irst element is passed
si,e o the argv arrayMvector
8uppose you run the program this $ay
21CD; 5-)ro'ra he&&o 1 2 3
ar'c == 5 /ive strings on the
command line)
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 25
char HHargv
ar'7[0]
ar'7[1]
ar'7[2]
0x1000
0x1008
0x1010
ar'7[3]
ar'7[4]
0x1018
0x10'0
:5-)ro'ra=
:he&&o=
:1=
:2=
:3=
Fhese are strings##
!ot integers#
Cox / Rixner Arrays and Pointers 26
!ext Fime
8tructures and *nions