What are pointers in C and how do they work?

What are pointers in C and how do they work?

Pointers in C are variables that store the memory address of another variable. They allow for dynamic memory management and efficient array handling.

Can you explain how to declare and initialize a pointer?

To declare a pointer, you use the asterisk (*) symbol. For example, int *ptr; declares a pointer to an integer. You can initialize it by assigning it the address of a variable using the address-of operator (&), like this: ptr = &var;.

What are some common uses of pointers?

Pointers are commonly used for dynamic memory allocation, arrays, and functions to pass arguments by reference, allowing modifications to the original variable.

What is the difference between a pointer and a reference?

A pointer can be reassigned to point to different variables and can be null, while a reference is an alias for an existing variable and cannot be changed to refer to another variable.