? Pointers in C

A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable. They are powerful tools that allow direct memory access and manipulation.

? Declaring a Pointer

c
Symbol
Meaning
*
Dereference operator (get value at address)
&
Address-of operator (get address of variable)
? Example Program
c
#include <stdio.h>int main() {    int x = 100;    int *ptr = &x;    printf("Value of x: %d\n", x);         // 100    printf("Address of x: %p\n", &x);      // address    printf("Pointer value (ptr): %p\n", ptr); // address    printf("Value pointed to by ptr: %d\n", *ptr); // 100    return 0;}
? Why Use Pointers?
Pass variables by reference to functions
Dynamic memory allocation (malloc, calloc, etc.)
Work with arrays and strings
Build complex structures like linked lists, trees
?? Common Mistakes
Uninitialized pointers (int *p;) – leads to undefined behavior.
Dangling pointers – pointing to memory that has been freed.
Memory leaks – not freeing memory allocated on the heap.
? Pointer Types

Type
Example
Pointer to int
int *p;
Pointer to char
char *str;
Void pointer
void *ptr;
Pointer to pointer
int **pp;