C

PROGRAMMING AND
DATA STRUCTURES
Application of pointers: Largest and
Smallest Element in an Array
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 IDEA
min Max

int a[] = {23, 45, 6, 98};

6 98
int min, max; min = max = 23
min = max = a[o];
for i = 1 to 3: 2)
(2) 45 > 23

max = 45
(1)if a[i] < min then
min = a[i] 6< 23

(2)if arr[i] > max then min =6

max = a[i] (2) 98 > 45
max = 98
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Start here x minMax.c x
1/Program to find the largest and smallest element in an array

#include <stdio.h>

void minMax (int arr(], int len, int *min, int *max)
6
7
8
*min = *max = arr [0]
int ij
:
for (i-1l; i<len; it+)
10
11 if (arr [i] > *max)
12
13
*max =
arr [i];
if (arr [i] < *min)
14
15
*min = arr (i] ;
16
17
18 pint main () {

19 int a[] -
(23, 4, 21, 98, 987, 45, 32, 10, 123, 986, 50, 3, 4,5):
20 int min, max;
21
22
int m
minMà
sizeof(a)/sizeof (a[0]):
a, len, &min, &max)
23
24
printf ("Minimum value in the array is: %d and Maximum value is: %d", min, max)
return 0;
:
25
26
 C

PROGRAMMING AND
DATA STRUCTURES
Returning pointers:
Find the mid of the array
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 int main()

int a[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};

int n = sizeof(a) /sizeof (a[o]);
int *mid = findMid (a, n) ;
printf("%d", *mid) ;
return 0;

}
int *findMid (int a[], int n)
{
return &a[n/2];
OUTPUT: 3

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 WORD OF CAUTION

Never ever try to return the address of an autonmatic variable

For example:

int *fun() Warning: function returns address

{ of local variable
int i=10;
return &i;
}
int main() {
int *p = fun();
printf("%d", *p);
}
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 C

PROGRAMMING AND
DATASTRUCTURES
Important questions

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 Question1t: Consider the following two statements
int *p = &i;
p = &i;

statement is the declaration and second is simple assignment statement.

First
Why isn't in second statement, p is preceded by * symbol?

Solution: InC,* symbol has differentmeanings depending on the context in which

it's used.

Atthe timeof declaration, *Symbol is not acting as an indirection operator.

* symbol in the first statement tells thecompiler that p is a pointer to an integer.

But, if wewrite *p=&i then it is wrong, because here * symbol indicates the
indirection operator and we cannot assign the address to some integer variable.

Therefore, in the second statement,there is no need of *symbol in front of p. It

simply means we are assigning the address to a pointer.

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 Question 2: What is the output of the following program

void fun(const int *p)

{
*p = 0;
} Output:

int main() { Error: Assignment of read-only location *p

const int i = 10;
fun(&i);
return 0;

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 Question 3: How to print the address of a variable?

Solution: use %p asa format specifier in printffunction

int main() {
int 10;
i =
int *p = &i;
printf("The address of variable i is %p", p);

}
return ;
iOutput: The address of variable i is 0x7ffd5b9a987 c

i
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 Question 4: If is
variable and p points
i a to i, which of the
following expressions are aliases of i?

a) *p b) *&p c) &p d) *i e) *&i

Solution: Options (a)and (e) are the aliases of variatble i

Example a) *p = *(1000) = 10
int i = 10; b) *&p = *(&p) = *(2000) = 1000
int *p =
&i;
C) &p = 2000
i d) *i= *(10) doesn't make sense

10 1000 e) *&i = *(&i) = *(1000) = 10

1000 2000

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12:35 AMO
C

PROGRAMMING AND
DATA|STRUCTURES
Pointer Arithmetic -Addition
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 P

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

p = &a[e]

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 WHAT HAPPENS IF WE ADD SOME INTEGER TO THE POINTER?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

means moving the pointer 3 positions in forward

P= p +3 direction.

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 WHAT HAPPENS IF WE ADD SOME INTEGER TO THE POINTER?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

3 positions
P=p + 3 means moving the pointer
direction.
in forward

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 IN OTHER WORDS..

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Initially, if p points to a[i], then

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ip =p+j
=p + ji = ga[i + jli
 IN OTHER WORDS..

1 2 4 5 6 7

Initially, if p points to a[o], then

ip =p + 3! E &a[0 + 3]
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 IN OTHER WORDS..

1 2 4 5 6 7

Initially, if p points to a[o], then

iP =p +3 &a[3]

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 AcTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1000 1004 1008 1012 1016 1020 1024 1028

ip = &a[O] ip = 1000

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 ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1000 1004 1008 1012 1016 1020 1024 1028

p =p +1 Ep = 1000 + 1 x 4

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 AcTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1000 1004 1008 1012 1016 1020 1024 1028

p =p +1 p=1004
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 ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1000 1004 1008 1012 1016 1020 1024 1028

iP =p +3 E p = 1000 + 3x 4
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 ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1000 1004 1008 1012 1016 1020 1024 1028

ip =p +3 p=1012
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 C

PROGRAMMING AND
DATA|STRUCTURES
Pointer Arithmetic -Subtraction
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 RECALL-ADDING INTEGER TO A POINTER

1 2 3 45 6 7

ip =p + 3

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 RECALL-ADDING INTEGER TO A POINTER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

+3 means moving the pointer 3 positions in forward

ip = p direction.

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 INOTHER WORDS...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Initially, if p points to a[i], then

p =p - j = &[i - j]
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 IN OTHER WORDS..

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Initially, if p points to a[3], then

ip = p - 3= &a[3 - 3]

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 INOTHER WORDS...

1 2 3 4 56 7

Initially, if p points to a[3], then

p =p-- 33 =
E&a[e]
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 IN REALITY...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

ip= p - 3 E ip = 1012 - 3 x 4
4

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 IN REALITY...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

iP = p- 3 p = 1000
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 SUBTRACTING ONE POINTER FROM ANOTHER

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 SUBTRACTING ONE POINTER FROM ANOTHER POINTER

Result is distancebetween pointers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

q- p = 4

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 SUBTRACTING ONE POINTER FROM ANOTHER POINTER

Result isdistancebetween pointers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

IP - q = -4
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 IN REALITY...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Ifbase address of array is1000

p= 1008 q= 1024

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 IN REALITY...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
f base address of array is 1000

p=1008 q= 1024
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 IN REALITY...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
fbase address of array is 1000

9- p = 16

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 IN REALITY...

I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
base address of array is 1000
If

p= 1008 i9= p + 4 q= 1008 + 4x4

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 IN REALITY..

I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Ifbase address of array is 1000

p = 1008 9=p+
iq = 44 = 1024 = 1008 + 4x4

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 IN REALITY...

I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Ifbase address of array is 1000

q- p = 4 1024 - 1008 = 484

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 IN REALITY..

I 7
1 2 3 4 5 6
Number
If baseaddress of array is 1000
of bytes
in

9- p = 4 1024 - 1008 =4 integer

4
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 UNDEFINED BEHAVIOURS

Performing arithmeticon pointers which are not pointing to array element

leadsto undefined behaviour

int main() {

}
int i =

;
10;
int *p = &i;
printf("%d",
return
*(p+3));
Different outputs everytime

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 UNDEFINED BEHAVIOURS

If twopointers are pointing

to different arraysthen performing subtraction
between them leadsto undefined behaviour

Undefined Behaviour

int main() {
Online:
int a[] {1, 2, 3, 4};
int b[] = {10, 20, 30, 40}; 7
int *p = &a[0];
int *q = &b[3];
Offine:
printf("%d", q - p);
return 0;
}

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