Why is nullptr Preferred Over NULL and 0 in C ?

Advantages of Nilptr over NULL and 0

When initializing pointers, it may seem that nullptr, NULL, and 0 offer similar functionality. However, nullptr provides several distinct advantages:

Function Overload Disambiguation:

Unlike NULL and 0, assigning nullptr to a pointer allows for clear function overload disambiguation. Consider overloaded functions that take char const and int parameters. Assigning NULL to a pointer intended for char const can lead to accidental invocation of the int overload. Nilptr, however, unambiguously identifies the intended function.

Template Specializations:

In C templates, nullptr is defined as nullptr_t. This allows for template specializations tailored specifically for nullptr. By defining a partial specialization for nullptr_t, you can create specialized behavior for pointers initialized with nullptr.

Overload Handling:

Another advantage of nullptr arises from the ability to define overloads specifically designed to handle nullptr arguments. By introducing a separate overload for nullptr_t in a function template, you can handle nullptr as a distinct case. This provides enhanced flexibility and code clarity.

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