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15 DynamicMemoryAllocation

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13 views3 pages

15 DynamicMemoryAllocation

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bassedwarz
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Programming for Problem Solving – ESCS-201 1

Dynamic Memory Allocation.


Since C is a structured language, it has some fixed rules for programming. One of it
includes changing the size of an array. An array is collection of items stored at
continuous memory locations.

As it can be seen that the length (size) of the array above made is 9. But what if there
is a requirement to change this length (size). For Example,
 If there is a situation where only 5 elements are needed to be entered in this
array. In this case, the remaining 4 indices are just wasting memory in this array.
So there is a requirement to lessen the length (size) of the array from 9 to 5.
 Take another situation. In this, there is an array of 9 elements with all 9 indices
filled. But there is a need to enter 3 more elements in this array. In this case 3
indices more are required. So the length (size) of the array needs to be changed
from 9 to 12.
This procedure is referred to as Dynamic Memory Allocation in C.
Therefore, C Dynamic Memory Allocation can be defined as a procedure in which the
size of a data structure (like Array) is changed during the runtime.
C provides some functions to achieve these tasks. There are 4 library functions
provided by C defined under <stdlib.h> header file to facilitate dynamic memory
allocation in C programming. They are:
1. malloc()
2. calloc()
3. realloc()
4. free()
1. malloc() method
“malloc” or “memory allocation” method in C is used to dynamically allocate a single
large block of memory with the specified size. It returns a pointer of type void which
can be cast into a pointer of any form. It initializes each block with default garbage
value.

Compiled by Mainak Sanyal


2 Programming for Problem Solving – ESCS-201
Syntax: ptr = (cast-type*) malloc(byte-size)
For Example:

ptr = (int*) malloc(100 * sizeof(int));

Since the size of int is 2 bytes, this statement will allocate 200 bytes of memory. And,
the pointer ptr holds the address of the first byte in the allocated memory.

2. calloc() method

“calloc” or “contiguous allocation” method in C is used to dynamically allocate the


specified number of blocks of memory of the specified type. It initializes each block
with a default value ‘0’.

Syntax: ptr = (cast-type*)calloc(n, element-size);

For Example:

ptr = (float*) calloc(5, sizeof(float));

This statement allocates contiguous space in memory for 5 elements each with the size
of the float.

3. realloc() method

“realloc” or “re-allocation” method in C is used to dynamically change the memory


allocation of a previously allocated memory. In other words, if the memory previously
allocated with the help of malloc or calloc is insufficient, realloc can be used to
dynamically re-allocate memory. re-allocation of memory maintains the already
present value and new blocks will be initialized with default garbage value.

Syntax: ptr = realloc(ptr, newSize);

4. free() method

“free” method in C is used to dynamically de-allocate the memory. The memory


allocated using functions malloc() and calloc() is not de-allocated on their own. Hence
the free() method is used, whenever the dynamic memory allocation takes place. It
helps to reduce wastage of memory by freeing it.

Syntax: free(ptr);

Compiled by Mainak Sanyal


Programming for Problem Solving – ESCS-201 3

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main()
{
int *ptr, *ptr1; // This pointer will hold the base address of the block created
int n, i;

n = 5; // Get the number of elements for the array

ptr = (int*)malloc(n * sizeof(int));


ptr1 = (int*)calloc(n, sizeof(int));

if (ptr == NULL || ptr1 == NULL) {


printf("Memory not allocated.\n");
exit(0);
}
else {

printf("Memory successfully allocated using malloc.\n");


free(ptr);
printf("Malloc Memory successfully freed.\n");

printf("\nMemory successfully allocated using calloc.\n");


free(ptr1);
printf("Calloc Memory successfully freed.\n");
}

return 0;
}

Compiled by Mainak Sanyal

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