Linked list using double pointer

I have a doubt about double pointer....I mean pointer to pointer
Here is my code

Code:

---

#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
struct list
{
      int num;
      struct list * link;
};

typedef struct list node;

void display( node **p )
{
    node **temp = p;
    if( **p != NULL )
    printf("NOT NULL");
}

main()
{
      node *head;
      display(&head);
}

---

I'm not showing the actual program....This is for clarifying my doubt

...node *head means it holds address of a variable of type node,so that we can access that variable like this *head ..ie. value at address head
now i am passing address of head to the function....so type of argument is pointer to a pointer.
..ie...void display(node**p)
...
what is the problem with the statement if(**p!=NULL)

*p means value at address p....ie address of pointer variable head...**p means value at address address of pointer variable p....ie.pointer variable..am i right?
But compiler says that its type is node...not node *...what is the problem...Please give a good explanation on double pointers

You don't want to pass pointer to pointer... just pass and work with the pointer...

Code:

---

include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
struct list
{
      int num;
      struct list * link;
};

typedef struct list node;

void display( node *p )        // here you are passing in a pointer to your first node
{
    node *temp = p;            // making a copy of the pointer
    if( p != NULL )                // p is already apointer to a node
    printf("NOT NULL");
}

main()
{
      node *head = NULL;    // head will not be null unless intialized to NULL
      display(head);              // no need for the address of, head is already a pointer
}

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CommonTater

You don't want to pass pointer to pointer... just pass and work with the pointer...

Code:

---

include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
struct list
{
      int num;
      struct list * link;
};

typedef struct list node;

void display( node *p )        // here you are passing in a pointer to your first node
{
    node *temp = p;            // making a copy of the pointer
    if( p != NULL )                // p is already apointer to a node
    printf("NOT NULL");
}

main()
{
      node *head = NULL;    // head will not be null unless intialized to NULL
      display(head);              // no need for the address of, head is already a pointer
}

---

---

I know that ...I have already said that this is a code just to show my problem.....I want to know what is the error in this code...and what is my misconcept about double pointer....The function display is just an example to make you understand my problem(not program)......

The problem is that you are using a lot of unnecessary pointer to pointer stuff that won't work in your application.

If you already have the pointer you need, making a pointer to it is foolish because you end up with an unitialized pointer to an unitialized pointer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CommonTater

The problem is that you are using a lot of unnecessary pointer to pointer stuff that won't work in your application.

If you already have the pointer you need, making a pointer to it is foolish because you end up with an unitialized pointer to an unitialized pointer.

---

just *p != NULL is enough??
why??

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by linuxlover

just *p != NULL is enough??
why??

---

Just p != NULL is enough.

node *head is defined as a pointer.

Your function accepts it as a pointer ... void display (node *p)

So inside your function you have the pointer to head...
You can test its value directly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CommonTater

Just p != NULL is enough.

node *head is defined as a pointer.

Your function accepts it as a pointer ... void display (node *p)

So inside your function you have the pointer to head...
You can test its value directly.

---

I know how to pass a pointer to a function and manipulate it.....That's not what i needed....I need to know how to pass address of a pointer to a function and manipulate it.....You should not recursively come out again and again saying the same thing.....

@linuxlover: If you have a declaration like node **p, then p contains an address (of a pointer to a node). *p also contains an address (of a node). **p contains a node. Thus, something like **p != NULL doesn't make sense, since **p is a node (a struct), and structs can't be NULL, only pointers can. This is usually done so you can modify the value of *p (the address of a node) inside a function, for example:

Code:

---

void new_node(node **head)
{
    *head = malloc(sizeof(**head));
}
...
node *p;
new_node(&p);

---

I generally avoid this if I can do something like the following instead:

Code:

---

node *new_node(void)
{
    return malloc(sizeof(node));
}
...
node *p = new_node();

---

But sometimes you need to return multiple things from a function (maybe an function that initializes several pointers), and you have to pass in a pointer by address.

Thanks I got the idea...ie *p means value at address hold by p ..p holds address of pointer variable......value at that address is head..and i can also right
*p->num=10;
or
**p.num =10;


am i right???

In order to use the . (dot) operator instead of the -> (arrow) operator, you need to have the correct parenthesis in place. If p is a pointer to a node:

Code:

---

p->num = 10;
(*p).num = 10;

---

Quzah.