void * realloc ( void * ptr, size_t size );

<cstdlib>

Reallocate memory block

The size of the memory block pointed to by the ptr parameter is changed to the size bytes, expanding or reducing the amount of memory available in the block.

The function may move the memory block to a new location, in which case the new location is returned. The content of the memory block is preserved up to the lesser of the new and old sizes, even if the block is moved. If the new size is larger, the value of the newly allocated portion is indeterminate.

In case that ptr is NULL, the function behaves exactly as malloc, assigning a new block of size bytes and returning a pointer to the beginning of it.

In case that the size is 0, the memory previously allocated in ptr is deallocated as if a call to free was made, and a NULL pointer is returned.

Parameters

ptr

Pointer to a memory block previously allocated with malloc, calloc or realloc to be reallocated.
If this is NULL, a new block is allocated and a pointer to it is returned by the function.

size

New size for the memory block, in bytes.
If it is 0 and ptr points to an existing block of memory, the memory block pointed by ptr is deallocated and a NULL pointer is returned.

Return Value

Example

/* realloc example: rememb-o-matic */
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main ()
{
  int input,n;
  int count=0;
  int * numbers = NULL;

  do {
     printf ("Enter an integer value (0 to end): ");
     scanf ("%d", &input);
     count++;
     numbers = (int*) realloc (numbers, count * sizeof(int));
     if (numbers==NULL)
       { puts ("Error (re)allocating memory"); exit (1); }
     numbers[count-1]=input;
  } while (input!=0);

  printf ("Numbers entered: ");
  for (n=0;n<count;n++) printf ("%d ",numbers[n]);
  free (numbers);

  return 0;
}

The program prompts the user for numbers until a zero character is entered. Each time a new value is introduced the memory block pointed by numbers is increased by the size of an int.

See also