Interactive Computer Science Tutoring

Learn programming concepts interactively

AHA Schools Logo

Advanced C Pointers

Master pointers to pointers, function pointers, and advanced indirection

Pointer Examples
Explore advanced pointer concepts
Pointer Chain Tracer
Follow the chain of indirection step by step
Function Pointers
Explore calling functions through pointers
Function Call Demo
Watch how function pointers work
Memory Visualization
Toggle the memory layout display
Indirection Level Generator
Generate pointer chains of different depths
Levels:2
Generates: int**
Advanced Pointer Challenge
Test your understanding of complex pointers
What is the result type when you dereference a pointer to a pointer to int once (*ptr)?
Generated C Code
Interactive C code with memory visualization
Pointer Memory Layout
Memory Layout:
xint
Address:
0x7fff5c28
Value:
3490
pint*
Address:
0x7fff5c30
Value:
0x7fff5c28
Points to: x
qint**
Address:
0x7fff5c38
Value:
0x7fff5c30
Points to: p
Generated C Code
Interactive C code with memory visualization
Advanced Pointer Exploration0/5
Recent operations with timestamps

No operations yet

Start by adding or modifying elements

Advanced Pointer Rules
🔗 Multiple Indirection
Each * adds one level of indirection. **p means "value pointed to by pointer pointed to by p"
📞 Function Pointers
return_type (*ptr_name)(param_types) - parentheses around *ptr_name are crucial
🔒 const with Pointers
const placement matters: int *const vs const int* vs const int *const
Advanced Pointer Pitfalls
Dangling Pointers in Chains
If any pointer in the chain becomes invalid, the entire chain breaks
Function Pointer Type Mismatches
Function pointer types must exactly match the target function signature
Excessive Indirection
Too many pointer levels make code hard to read and maintain