Unit- 5 Pointers and File Handling

Introduction to pointers, Pointers with arrays, Pointers to structures, Pointers to pointers. Input
and Output: Introduction to Files, Modes of Files, Streams, Standard Library Input/Output
Functions, Input/Output Functions, Input?Output operations on files.

1
 What is a Pointer?

• The Pointer in C, is a variable that stores address of another variable.

• A pointer can also be used to refer to another pointer function.

• A pointer can be incremented/decremented, i.e., to point to the

next/ previous memory location.

• The purpose of pointer is to save memory space and achieve faster

execution time.
 How to Use Pointers in C ?

• If we declare a variable v of type int, v will actually store a value.

int v=0;
• v is equal to zero now.
• However, each variable, apart from value, also has its address (or,
simply put, where it is located in the memory).
• The address can be retrieved by putting an ampersand (&) before the
variable name.
&v
• If you print the address of a variable on the screen, it will look like a
totally random number (moreover, it can be different from run to run).
 What is a Pointer?
• Instead of storing a value, a pointer will y store the address of a
variable.

• Pointer Variable
• Int *y = &v;

VARIABLE POINTER

A value stored in a named storage/memory A variable that points to the storage/memory

address address of another variable
 Declaring a Pointers in C

• Like variables, pointers in C programming have to be declared before

they can be used in your program.
• Pointers can be named anything you want as long as they obey C's
naming rules.
• A pointer declaration has the following form.
• data_type * pointer_variable_name;
• Here,
• data_type is the pointer's base type of C's variable types and indicates
the type of the variable that the pointer points to.
• The asterisk (*: the same asterisk used for multiplication) which is
indirection operator, declares a pointer.
 Initializing a Pointers in C
#include <stdio.h>
• After declaring a pointer, we initialize it int main()
like standard variables with a variable {
address. int a=10; //variable declaration
• If pointers in C programming are not int *p; //pointer variable
uninitialized and used in the program, declaration p=&a; //store
the results are unpredictable and address of variable a in pointer
potentially disastrous. p
• To get the address of a variable, we use printf("Address stored in a
the ampersand (&)operator, placed variable p is:%x\n",p);
before the name of a variable whose //accessing the address
address we need. printf("Value stored in a
• Pointer initialization is done with the variable p is:%d\n",*p);
following syntax. pointer = &variable; //accessing the value return 0;
}
 Operators of Pointers in C

Operator Meaning

* Serves 2 purposes
1.Declaration of a pointer
2.Returns the value of the referenced variable

& Serves only 1 purposeReturns the address of a

variable
 Advantages of Pointers in C ?

• Pointers are useful for accessing memory locations.

• Pointers provide an efficient way for accessing the elements of an array

structure.

• Pointers are used for dynamic memory allocation as well as deallocation.

• Pointers are used to form complex data structures such as linked list,
graph, tree, etc.
 Disadvantages of Pointers in C ?
• Pointers are a little complex to understand.

• Pointers can lead to various errors such as segmentation faults or can

access a memory location which is not required at all.

• If an incorrect value is provided to a pointer, it may cause memory

corruption.

• Pointers are also responsible for memory leakage.

• Pointers are comparatively slower than that of the variables.

• Programmers find it very difficult to work with the pointers; therefore it is

programmer's responsibility to manipulate a pointer carefully.
 Summary
• A pointer is nothing but a memory location where data is stored.
• A pointer is used to access the memory location.
• There are various types of pointers such as a null pointer, wild pointer,
void pointer and other types of pointers.
• Pointers can be used with array and string to access elements more
efficiently.
• We can create function pointers to invoke a function dynamically.
• Arithmetic operations can be done on a pointer which is known as
pointer arithmetic.
• Pointers can also point to function which make it easy to call different
functions in the case of defining an array of pointers.
• When you want to deal different variable data type, you can use a
typecast void pointer.
 File Handling

? Basics of File Handling

 Basics of File Handling
? File handling in C enables us to create, update, read, and delete the files
stored on the local file system through our C program. The following
operations can be performed on a file.
? Different operations that can be performed on a file are:
1. Creation of a new file (fopen with attributes as “a” or “a+” or “w” or “w++”)
2. Opening an existing file (fopen)
3. Reading from file (fscanf or fgets)
4. Writing to a file (fprintf or fputs)
5. Moving to a specific location in a file (fseek, rewind)
6. Closing a file (fclose)
File Handling Functions
 Functions for file handling
There are many functions in the C library to open, read, write, search and close the file. A list of file functions
are given below:

No. Function Description No. Function Description

1 fopen() opens new or 7 fseek() sets the file pointer

existing file to given position

2 fprintf() write data into the 8 fputw() writes an integer to

file file

3 fscanf() reads data from the 9 fgetw() reads an integer

file from file

4 fputc() writes a character 10 ftell() returns current

into the file position

5 fgetc() reads a character

11 rewind() sets the file pointer
from file
to the beginning of
the file
6 fclose() closes the file
 File writing Function
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Writing File :

1) fprintf() function

The
1. fprintf() function is used to write set of characters into file. It sends
formatted output to a stream.
Syntax
int fprintf(FILE *stream, const char *format [, argument, ...])

2) fputs() function

The fputs() function writes a line of characters into file. It outputs string to
a stream.
Syntax
int fputs(const char *s, FILE *stream)
 File Reading Function
16

Reading File :

1) fscanf() function
The fscanf() function is used to read set of characters from file. It reads
1.
a word from the file and returns EOF at the end of file.
Syntax
int fscanf(FILE *stream, const char *format [, argument, ...])

2) fgets() function
The fgets() function reads a line of characters from file. It gets string
from a stream.
Syntax
char* fgets(char *s, int n, FILE *stream)