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Introduction
• A pointer is a variable that contains the
memory location of another variable.

C Pointers • A pointer can be pointed to any variable

type.
• The address operator (&) gives the
''address of a variable''.
• The indirection or dereference operator
(*) gives the ''contents of an object
pointed to by a pointer''.
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Pointer declaration Pointer declaration cont…

• You start by specifying the type of
data stored in the location identified by
the pointer.
• The asterisk tells the compiler that you
are creating a pointer variable.
• Finally you give the name of the
pointer variable.
• If you declare more than one pointer
on the same line, you must precede
each of them with an asterisk.
• Syntax for declaring a point to a
variable:
• data_type *variable_name;

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Address operator examples

• Once we declare a pointer variable we /*The use of pointers in a C
must point it to something, we can do program*/
this by assigning to the pointer the #include<stdio.h>
address of the variable you want to
point. int main(){ float
• E.g., ptr=&number; number1=4,number2=19, sum;
• This places the address where number /*declaration of pointer
is into the variable ptr. If number is variables*/
stored in memory 21260 address then float *ptr_a;
the variable ptr has the value 21260. float *ptr_b;
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Examples cont… Examples cont…

/*assigning the address of the /*output the sum with two
variable to a pointer*/ decimal places*/
ptr_a=&number1; printf("The sum of two
ptr_b=&number2; numbers is %.2f\n",sum);
/*using pointers in return 0;
expression*/
}
sum=*ptr_a+*ptr_b;

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Examples cont… Examples cont…

*declaring pointers, using them /*declaration of pointer
in calculations and memory variables*/
locations*/
int *m,*n;
#include<stdio.h>
int main() {
/*pointing a pointer to
address of a variable*/
/*variable declaration and
initialization*/ m=&x;
int area, x=12, y=5; n=&y;
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Examples cont… Pointer expressions

/*using pointer variable in • Like other variables pointer variables
expression*/ can be used in expressions.
area=*m**n; printf("The area of • For example, if p1 and p2 are properly
rectangle is %d\n",area); declared and initialized pointers, then
printf("\nThe address of x=%u and the following statements are valid:
y=%u\n",m,n); /*%u is format y=*p1**p2;
specifier for unsigned decimal sum=sum+*p1;
integer*/ z= 5 - *p2/*p1;
return 0; *p2= *p2 + 10;
}
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Pointer expressions cont…

• C allows us to add integers to or Thank you for listening!
subtract integers from pointers as well
as to subtract one pointer from the
other.
• We can also use short hand operators
with the pointers *p1+=sum;
sum+=*p2; etc.,

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