🧠 C Memory Management & Usage - Comprehensive Notes

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📚 Table of Contents

1. C Memory Layout
2. Addressing & Endianness
3. Dynamic Memory Allocation
4. Common Memory Problems
5. Linked List Example
6. Memory Fragmentation & K&R Algorithm
7. Debugging Tools

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🗺️ C Memory Layout

Program Address Space

• 4 Regions:
  1. Stack 📥
  • Stores local variables (declared inside functions).
  • Grows downward.
  • Freed when function returns.
  • Example: int x = 5; inside main().

2. Heap 🧱

   • Dynamically allocated via malloc(), calloc(), realloc().
   • Grows upward.
   • Must be explicitly freed with free().
   • Example: int *arr = malloc(10 * sizeof(int));.

3. Static Data 🌐

   • Stores global/static variables and string literals.
   • Does not grow/shrink.
   • Example: char *str = "hello"; (string literal in static data).
   • ⚠️ char str[] = "hello"; stores the array on the stack!

4. Code 📜

   • Contains compiled machine code.
   • Read-only and immutable.

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🔢 Addressing & Endianness

Key Concepts

• Byte-Addressed Machines: Each address points to a unique byte.
• Word-Addressed Machines: Each address points to a word (group of bytes).
• Endianness: Order of bytes in multi-byte data types.

Types of Endianness

1. Big Endian 🐘
   - Most significant byte at lowest address.
   - Example: 0x12345678 stored as 12 34 56 78.
2. Little Endian 🐭
   - Least significant byte at lowest address.
   - Example: 0x12345678 stored as 78 56 34 12.

Example: Integer 28 (0x0000001C)

• Big Endian: 00 00 00 1C
• Little Endian: 1C 00 00 00

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💥 Dynamic Memory Allocation

Functions

1. malloc(n)
   - Allocates n bytes of uninitialized memory.
   - Example:
   
   C

   int *arr = (int*)malloc(5 * sizeof(int)); // Allocate space for 5 integers
   

2. calloc(n, size)
   - Allocates n * size bytes initialized to zero.
   - Example:
   
   C

   int *arr = (int*)calloc(5, sizeof(int)); // [0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
   

3. realloc(ptr, new_size)
   - Resizes existing memory block.
   - May move the block to a new address.
   - Example:
   
   C

   arr = realloc(arr, 10 * sizeof(int)); // Expand to 10 integers
   

4. free(ptr)
   - Releases memory.
   - ⚠️ Never free:
   • Stack variables.
   • Already freed memory.
   • Middle of a block (e.g., free(arr + 1)).

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🚨 Common Memory Problems

1. Using Uninitialized Values

C

int *p;
printf("%d", *p); // Undefined behavior! p points to garbage.

2. Using Memory You Don’t Own

• Example 1: Returning a stack-allocated array.
  
  C

  char* func() {
      char arr;
      return arr; // ❌ arr is on the stack; invalid after function returns.
  }
  

• Example 2: Buffer overflow.
  
  C

  char buf;
  strcpy(buf, "This is too long!"); // Writes beyond buf
  

3. Freeing Invalid Memory

• Double Free:
  
  C

  int *p = malloc(4);
  free(p);
  free(p); // ❌ p already freed.
  

• Freeing Stack Variable:
  
  C

  int x = 5;
  free(&x); // ❌ x is on the stack.
  

4. Memory Leaks

• Example: Overwriting a pointer before freeing.
  
  C

  int *p = malloc(4);
  p = malloc(8); // ❌ Original 4 bytes are now unreachable.
  

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🔗 Linked List Example

Node Structure

C

struct Node {
    char *value;
    struct Node *next;
};

Adding a Node

C

struct Node* addNode(char *s, struct Node *list) {
    struct Node *newNode = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
    newNode->value = (char*)malloc(strlen(s) + 1); // +1 for '\0'
    strcpy(newNode->value, s);
    newNode->next = list;
    return newNode;
}

Freeing a Node

C

void freeList(struct Node *list) {
    while (list != NULL) {
        struct Node *temp = list;
        list = list->next;
        free(temp->value); // Free the string
        free(temp);        // Free the node
    }
}

Visualization

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🧩 Memory Fragmentation & K&R Algorithm

Fragmentation Example

K&R Allocation Strategy

• Free List: Linked list of free memory blocks.
• Merging Adjacent Blocks: free() combines adjacent free blocks.
• Allocation Policies:
• First Fit: Use the first block that fits.
• Best Fit: Use the smallest block that fits.
• Next Fit: Resume search from last position.

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🛠️ Debugging Tools

• Valgrind 🧪: Detects memory leaks, invalid accesses, and more.
  
  Bash

  valgrind --leak-check=full ./your_program
  

• Example Output:
  
  Text Only

  ==12345== Invalid write of size 4
  ==12345==    at 0x400ABC: main (example.c:10)
  

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📌 Summary

• Stack: Local variables, LIFO.
• Heap: Dynamic, manually managed.
• Static Data: Globals & literals.
• Code: Immutable.
• Common Pitfalls: Leaks, invalid accesses, uninitialized values.
• Golden Rule: Always pair malloc() with free()! 🛑