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Pointers and Arrays in C: Exploring the Relationship

   January 1, 2024
C Programming @ Freshers.in

Pointers and arrays in C have a close relationship, and understanding how they work together is crucial for mastering the language. In this article, we will delve into the intricate relationship between pointers and arrays in C programming, covering their connection, manipulation, and providing practical examples with code and output.

Understanding the Relationship

In C, arrays and pointers share a deep connection. An array name itself acts as a pointer to the first element of the array. This allows you to manipulate arrays using pointers.

Using Pointers to Access Array Elements

You can use pointers to access elements of an array. By incrementing or decrementing the pointer, you can traverse the elements of an array efficiently.

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    int numbers[] = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50};
    int *ptr = numbers; // Initialize 'ptr' to point to the first element
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        printf("Element %d: %d\n", i + 1, *ptr);
        ptr++; // Move 'ptr' to the next element
    }
    return 0;
}
C

The output will be:

Element 1: 10
Element 2: 20
Element 3: 30
Element 4: 40
Element 5: 50
Bash

Pointer Arithmetic with Arrays

Pointer arithmetic is commonly used with arrays to manipulate elements efficiently.

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    int numbers[] = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50};
    int *ptr = numbers; // Initialize 'ptr' to point to the first element
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        printf("Element %d: %d\n", i + 1, *ptr);
        ptr++; // Move 'ptr' to the next element
    }
    return 0;
}
C

In this example, we use pointer arithmetic to iterate through the elements of the numbers array, printing each element’s value. The output will be the same as the previous example.

Manipulating Arrays Using Pointers

Pointers provide a powerful way to manipulate arrays. You can modify array elements directly using pointers.

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    int numbers[] = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50};
    int *ptr = numbers; // Initialize 'ptr' to point to the first element
    *ptr = 100; // Modify the first element using 'ptr'
    ptr++; // Move 'ptr' to the next element
    *ptr = 200; // Modify the second element using 'ptr'
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        printf("Element %d: %d\n", i + 1, numbers[i]); // Access elements directly from the array
    }
    return 0;
}
C

The output will be:

Element 1: 100
Element 2: 200
Element 3: 30
Element 4: 40
Element 5: 50
Bash
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