C dynamic memory allocation facts for kids

In the C programming language, dynamic memory allocation refers to allocating memory during a program's run time. Dynamically allocated memory is obtained from a storage pool called a heap. A group of functions in the C standard library are typically used for dynamic memory allocation.

Overview of functions

C dynamic memory allocation functions are defined in stdlib.h header.

Differences between malloc and calloc

• malloc takes a single argument (the amount of memory to allocate in bytes), while calloc needs two arguments (the number of variables to allocate in memory, and the size in bytes of a single variable).
• malloc does not initialize the memory allocated, while calloc guarantees that all bytes of the allocated memory block have been initialized to 0.

Example code

int *array = malloc(10 * sizeof(int));
free(array);

See also

In Spanish: Malloc para niños