Function Pointer In C

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Vishesh Namdev

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Function Pointer is a variable that stores the address of a function. Function pointers provide a way to call functions indirectly, making them a powerful and flexible feature.

Declaration Syntax:

Incrementing a pointer (ptr++) moves it to the next memory location, while decrementing (ptr--) moves it to the previous location.

// Example: Function pointer for a function that takes two integers and returns an integer
int (* addPtr )( int , int );

Initialization:

Initialize the function pointer by assigning it the address of a function with a matching signature.

int add ( int a , int b ) {
return a + b ;
}

int (* funcPtr )( int , int ) = add ;

Function Call:

calling a function through a function pointer involves using the function pointer as if it were a regular function. You can either use the dereference operator (*) or directly call the function pointer.

#include < stdio.h > Copy Code

// Function to add two integers
int add ( int a , int b ) {
return a + b ;
}

int main () {
// Declare and initialize a function pointer
int (* funcPtr )( int , int ) = add ;

// Call the function through the function pointer
int result = (* funcPtr )(3, 5); // Using dereference operator
// or
// int result = funcPtr(3, 5); // Without dereference operator

// Print the result
printf ("Result: %d ", result );

return 0;
}

In this example:

1. The add function adds two integers.

2. The funcPtr function pointer is declared and initialized to point to the add function.

3. The function pointer is used to call the add function, passing it two arguments (3 and 5).

4. The result is printed.

Both (*funcPtr)(3, 5) and funcPtr(3, 5) are valid ways to call a function through a function pointer. The compiler understands that the variable funcPtr is a function pointer and handles the call appropriately.

Passing Function Pointers as Arguments

Passing function pointers as arguments in C allows you to implement dynamic behavior by choosing which function to execute at runtime.

#include < stdio.h > Copy Code

// Function to add two integers
int add ( int a , int b ) {
return a + b ;
}

// Function to subtract two integers
int subtract ( int a , int b ) {
return a - b ;
}

// Function that takes a function pointer as an argument
int operate ( int (* operation )( int , int ), int a , int b ) {
return operation ( a , b );
}

int main () {
// Declare and initialize function pointers
int (* addPtr )( int , int ) = add ;
int (* subtractPtr )( int , int ) = subtract ;

// Use the operate function with different function pointers
int resultAdd = operate ( addPtr , 8, 3);
int resultSubtract = operate ( subtractPtr , 8, 3);

// Print the results
printf ("Result of addition: %d ", resultAdd );
printf ("Result of subtraction: %d ", resultSubtract );

return 0;
}

This example defines two functions , 'add' and 'subtract' , for addition and subtraction. It introduces a generic 'operate' functions that takes a functions pointer along with two integers. In the 'main' functions , two functions pointers are declared and initialized to point to 'add' and 'subtract'. By invoking 'operate' with these functions pointers, the code dynamically selects and executes the desired operation, showcasing flexibility and reusability .

Introduction

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