Basic question about pointers

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:42:13 -0000 Mohan wrote:

[Quoting Mohan as my server no longer carries the OP]

> Aarti wrote:
> > I have a very elementary question about pointers. Please pardon me
> > for my ignorance of C
> >
> > int main()
> > {
> > int* i;
> > *i = 1 //at times this may give me a core dump.
> > const char* str = "test"; //This seems to be a valid construct.
> > }
> >
> > Now I understand that when we declare int* i, we just have a pointer
> > that may point to any place. If we try to store something in it, we
> > may get a segmentation fault. But why does const char* str = "test"
> > work?

I think you are confusing things due to different notations.

You have:
int* i;
*i = 1;

This is not correct, as i is not properly initialised so dereferencing it on
the second line causes undefined behaviour.

What you have above, is *NOT* the same as:
int* i = 1;
Here you create a pointer to an int and make it point to the address "1",
not defining the content of *i.

Had you written:
char* str;
*str = "test";
you would have had the same problem (plus an additional one), you would
have dereferenced the uninitialized pointer to char str. (And even had it
been initialised, it would be a syntax error to assign as string literal to
it).

Writing:
char* str;
str = "test";
would be correct and do the same thing as your example, but then
int* i;
i = 1;
would also be valid (and do the same as int *i=1

but not do what you
tried.

The fact that the legal construct 'int *i=1;' contains the sequence '*i=1;'
does not mean that i is dereferenced, the * belongs to the declaration of i.

I imagine that this might have confused you.

Cheers
/urs

--
"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine."
-- Urs Beeli, <usenet@CONCAT_MY_FIRST_AND_LAST_NAME.ch>

Urs Beeli wrote:
> I think you are confusing things due to different notations.
>
> You have:
> int* i;
> *i = 1;
>
> This is not correct, as i is not properly initialised so dereferencing it on
> the second line causes undefined behaviour.
>
> What you have above, is *NOT* the same as:
> int* i = 1;
> Here you create a pointer to an int and make it point to the address "1",
> not defining the content of *i.

Here you have a constraint violation. `1` is not a legal value for a
pointer. (If you cast the integer to a pointer, only the implementation
knows what will happen. I think it has to tell you, though.)

--
Hewlett-Packard Limited registered no:
registered office: Cain Road, Bracknell, Berks RG12 1HN 690597 England

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:35:38 +0100 Chris Dollin wrote:
> Urs Beeli wrote:
> > I think you are confusing things due to different notations.
> >
> > You have:
> > int* i;
> > *i = 1;
> >
> > This is not correct, as i is not properly initialised so dereferencing it on
> > the second line causes undefined behaviour.
> >
> > What you have above, is *NOT* the same as:
> > int* i = 1;
> > Here you create a pointer to an int and make it point to the address "1",
> > not defining the content of *i.
>
> Here you have a constraint violation. `1` is not a legal value for a
> pointer. (If you cast the integer to a pointer, only the implementation
> knows what will happen. I think it has to tell you, though.)

Fair enough, I missed that in my zeal to unconfuse the OP

Cheers
/urs

--
"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine."
-- Urs Beeli, <usenet@CONCAT_MY_FIRST_AND_LAST_NAME.ch>

On Jul 15, 10:14 pm, Aarti <aarti.sa...> wrote:
> int main()
> {
> int* i;
> *i = 1 //at times this may give me a core dump.
> const char* str = "test"; //This seems to be a valid construct.
>
> }

Shouldn't there be a semicolon on line 4?

1: int main()
2: {
3: int* i;
4: *i = 1; //at times this may give me a core dump.
5: const char* str = "test"; //This seems to be a valid construct.
6:
7: }

Basic question about pointers - C

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