Thread: Memory allocation with malloc

I got a problem with the malloc function. The purpose of this program is to try to allocate memory to an extend when the system won't allocate memory anymore.

Code:

int main ()

Code:

{
        int * buffer;
        int counter;


        counter = 0;
        /*buffer = (int*) malloc (102400*sizeof(int));*/
        buffer = (int *)malloc(sizeof(int));


        *buffer = 1024;


        printf("buffer: %d\n", *buffer);




        while(buffer!=NULL)
        {
                counter++;


                *buffer = *buffer + 1024;
                printf("count: %d\n", *buffer);


        }


        if (buffer==NULL)
        {
                printf("Error allocating memory!\n");
                exit (1);
        }

When I compile and run the code it keeps on going and it will eventually run in -(number). While it should give an error with the allocation of memory.

So I don't know what I did now, maybe someone else has a solution for it.

Originally Posted by laserlight

I notice that you only call malloc once. You probably want to replace the hard coded constant 102400 with a variable, then increase the value of that variable instead, in a loop.

So that means I need to declare a new variable and initialize it. Then replace the hardcoded 102400 with the variable. There is also one thing I don't understand and that is when i try to use the following code and try to print the output, I receive a "0":

Code:

*buffer = (int*) malloc (102400*sizeof(int));
printf("buffer: %d\n", *buffer);

How come the output isn't 102400?

Why should it? I guess you think that 102400 will be stored where pointer buffer is pointing to! Wrong!

Let's see the ref of malloc

This line you have will allocate memory for 102400 ints. The contents of this memory are yet not initialized by you! But check the ref, it is explaining them better than me

I sugest you not to cast what malloc returns .

This is what I changed now:

Code:

{
        int * buffer;
        int counter;
        long test;


        test = 1024;
        counter = 0;


        buffer = (int*) malloc (test*sizeof(int));
        while(buffer!=NULL)
        {
                counter++;
                test+=1024;
                printf("test: %ld\n", test);
                printf("counter: %d\n", counter);
        }


        if (buffer==NULL)
        {
                printf("Error allocating memory!\n");
                exit (1);
        }


        /*free (buffer);*/
        return 0;


}

If i enter a very high number the if statement will be triggered but when i use a low number and use the while loop, it will continuously keep adding the number and the if statement will not be triggered so did I forget something?

Thank you it works!

By the way, sorry if I asked any obvious questions..