Interactive Computer Science Tutoring

Learn programming concepts interactively

AHA Schools Logo

C Dynamic Memory Allocation

Master malloc, free, and dynamic memory management

Memory Allocation Patterns
Explore different malloc/free usage patterns
Memory Allocation Simulator
Practice allocating and freeing memory
Memory Status
Track your memory usage and leaks
0
Active Blocks
0
Bytes Allocated
0
Memory Leaks
0.0
Memory Pressure
Pattern Simulation
Watch memory allocation patterns in action
Memory Map Visualization
View allocated memory blocks
Memory Allocation Code
Interactive C code with memory visualization
Memory Operations Log0/5
Recent operations with timestamps

No operations yet

Start by adding or modifying elements

Memory Management Rules
✅ Always check malloc() return value
if (ptr == NULL)
🔄 Every malloc() needs a matching free()
free(ptr); ptr = NULL; // Prevent use-after-free
❌ Never free() the same pointer twice
Double free corrupts heap and crashes programs
Stack vs Heap Memory
Stack Memory
• Automatic allocation/deallocation
• Limited size, very fast
• Local variables, function parameters
Heap Memory
• Manual allocation with malloc()
• Large size, slower access
• Survives function scope
Common Memory Mistakes
Memory Leaks
Forgetting to free() allocated memory
Use After Free
Accessing memory after calling free()
Double Free
Calling free() twice on same pointer
Buffer Overflow
Writing beyond allocated memory bounds