What is the correct syntax to declare a pointer in C?

What is the correct syntax to declare a pointer in C?

• A. pointer_name *data_type;
• B. data_type pointer_name;
• C. data_type *pointer_name;
• D. pointer_name pointing_type;

Answer: (C)

The correct syntax to declare a pointer in C is to specify the data type the pointer will hold, followed by an asterisk (*) and then the name of the pointer. This establishes the pointer data type and associates it with the pointer name, enabling it to hold the address of a variable of that specified data type. For instance, if you want to declare a pointer to an integer, you would do so as follows: `int *ptr;` Here, `int` signifies the type of data the pointer will point to, while `ptr` is the name of the pointer. The asterisk before `ptr` indicates that it is a pointer type. This syntax is crucial in C programming because it clearly differentiates between a direct variable declaration and a pointer declaration, informing the compiler how to handle the memory address that the pointer will store. Understanding this is essential for effective memory management and pointer arithmetic in C.

The correct syntax to declare a pointer in C is to specify the data type the pointer will hold, followed by an asterisk (*) and then the name of the pointer. This establishes the pointer data type and associates it with the pointer name, enabling it to hold the address of a variable of that specified data type.

For instance, if you want to declare a pointer to an integer, you would do so as follows: int *ptr; Here, int signifies the type of data the pointer will point to, while ptr is the name of the pointer. The asterisk before ptr indicates that it is a pointer type.

This syntax is crucial in C programming because it clearly differentiates between a direct variable declaration and a pointer declaration, informing the compiler how to handle the memory address that the pointer will store. Understanding this is essential for effective memory management and pointer arithmetic in C.