What are some examples of memory leaks in C?

What are some examples of memory leaks in C?

Memory leaks in C occur when allocated memory is not properly deallocated. For example, if you allocate memory using malloc but forget to call free, that memory remains inaccessible.

Can you give me a specific code example?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

#include <stdlib.h>

void example() {
    int *arr = (int *)malloc(10 * sizeof(int)); // Memory allocated
    // Do something with arr
    // free(arr); // If this line is commented, it causes a memory leak
}

What are the consequences of memory leaks?

Consequences include increased memory usage, reduced performance, and eventually, the program may crash due to exhaustion of memory resources.

How can I detect memory leaks in my C programs?

You can use tools like Valgrind or AddressSanitizer to detect memory leaks in your C programs. They help identify memory that was allocated but not freed.