CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c
theReverseFlick
theReverseFlick

Reputation: 6044

Returning a character array from a function in c

Can I return an array that is created dynamically (using malloc) inside a function back to its caller?

I know that returning a statically allocated array is wrong because the stack unwinds as the function returns and variable is no longer valid but what about a dynamically allocated variable?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 4582

Answers (4)

user470379
user470379

Reputation: 4879

As others have noted, you can in fact return a char pointer. However, another common method is for the caller to pass in the pointer for the method to fill along with a length parameter. This makes it so the function responsible for allocating the memory will also be the same function responsible for freeing the memory, which can make memory leaks easier to see. This is what functions such as snprintf and strncpy do.

/* Performs a reverse strcpy. Returns number of bytes written if dst is
 * large enough, or the negative number of bytes that would have been
 * written if dst is too small too hold the copy. */
int rev_strcpy(char *dst, const char *src, unsigned int dst_len) {
    unsigned int src_len = strlen(src); /* assumes src is in fact NULL-terminated */
    int i,j;

    if (src_len+1 > dst_len) {
        return -(src_len+1);  /* +1 for terminating NULL */
    }

    i = 0;
    j = src_len-1;
    while (i < src_len) {
        dst[i] = src[j];
        ++i;
        ++j;
    }
    dst[src_len] = '\0';

    return src_len;
}

void random_function() {
    unsigned int buf_len;
    char *buf;
    int len;
    const char *str = "abcdefg";

    buf_len = 4;
    buf = malloc(buf_len * sizeof(char));
    if (!buf) {
        /* fail hard, log, whatever you want */
        return;
    }

    /* ...whatever randomness this function needs to do */

    len = rev_strcpy(buf, str, buf_len);
    if (len < 0) {
        /* realloc buf to be large enough and try again */
        free(buf);
        buf_len = -len;
        buf = malloc(buf_len * sizeof(buf));
        if (!buf) {
            /* fail hard, log, whatever you want */
            return;
        }
        len = rev_strcpy(buf, str, sizeof(buf));
    }

    /* ... the rest of the randomness this function needs to do */

    /* random_function has allocated the memory, random_function frees the memory */
    free(buf); 
}

This can lead to some overhead though if you don't know how big a buffer you'll need and need to call the function twice, but often the caller has a good idea to how large the buffer needs to be. Also it requires a little more logic to ensure the function doesn't overrun the given buffer. But it keeps the responsibility of freeing the memory with whatever is allocating the memory, while also allowing the option to pass local stack memory.

Example just returning the char*:

/* Performs a reverse strcpy. Returns char buffer holding reverse copy of
 * src, or NULL if memory could not be allocated. Caller is responsible
 * to free memory. */
char* rev_strcpy(const char *src) {
    unsigned int src_len = strlen(src); /* assumes src is in fact NULL-terminated */
    char *dst;
    int i,j;

    dst = malloc((src_len+1) * sizeof(char));
    if (!dst) {
        return NULL;
    }

    i = 0;
    j = src_len-1;
    while (i < src_len) {
        dst[i] = src[j];
        ++i;
        ++j;
    }
    dst[src_len] = '\0';

    return dst;
}

void random_function() {
    char *buf;
    const char *str = "abcdefg";

    /* ...whatever randomness this function needs to do */

    buf = rev_strcpy(str);        
    if (!buf) {
        /* fail hard, log, whatever you want */
        return;
    }

    /* ... the rest of the randomness this function needs to do */

    /* random_function frees the memory that was allocated by rev_strcpy */
    free(buf); 
}

Upvotes: 3

Walter Mundt
Walter Mundt

Reputation: 25271

You can certainly return an array allocated with malloc, but you have to make sure the caller of the function eventually releases the array with free; if you don't free a malloc'd array, the memory remains "in use" until program exit.

Upvotes: 0

payne
payne

Reputation: 14177

Yes you can. Just malloc() the array inside your function and return the pointer.

BUT, the caller needs to understand it needs to be freed at some point, or you'll have a memory leak.

Upvotes: 0

Matti Virkkunen
Matti Virkkunen

Reputation: 65116

Returning anything allocated with malloc is fine, as long as whoever uses your function takes care of free()ing it when they're done. malloc allocates on the heap which is essentially global within your program.

Upvotes: 5

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