What is a file pointer in C?

A file pointer in C is a specific type of pointer that is used to access files. It is defined as FILE *fp, where FILE is a data type provided by the standard library to represent a file stream. When a file is opened in a C program, the operating system associates a specific file with the stream, and fp serves as a handle for that file.

The file pointer allows the program to perform operations such as reading from and writing to the file, as well as navigating to different positions within the file stream. By using the file pointer, programs can control how they interact with file input and output, making it essential for file handling in C.

The other options describe different concepts. A variable indicating a memory location does not specifically pertain to files; functions for reading and writing are operations that can be performed using a file pointer but are not the pointer itself. Lastly, a pointer that points to the last character in a string is unrelated to file operations and concerns string handling instead. This clearly reinforces the understanding that the file pointer is specifically tailored for dealing with file streams in C.