Are Arrays Pointers in C and C ? Implications and Differences

Are Arrays Pointers? Implications and Differences in C and C

Despite accessing elements from a starting address, arrays and pointers are distinct entities in C and C . This distinction arises in how array expressions are treated in C.

Relationship in C

In C, array expressions are converted to pointer expressions in specific circumstances, such as subscripting. This conversion allows arrays to be treated as if they were pointers, leading to the misconception that they are synonymous.

Array Expressions

When using array expressions, the array type is implicitly converted to a "pointer to the initial element" type. However, this does not imply that arrays themselves are pointers.

Pointer Arithmetic

Pointer arithmetic operations exhibit a key difference between arrays and pointers. Incrementing an array expression (e.g., arr ) advances the pointer by the size of the element type (int in this case). In contrast, incrementing a pointer to an array (e.g., parr ) advances the pointer by the size of the pointer type (int* in this case).

Conclusion

While array expressions in C can behave similarly to pointers, it's crucial to recognize their distinct types and implications in pointer arithmetic. Arrays and pointers remain separate entities with different behaviors and applications in C and C .

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