An In-Depth Understanding of Memory and Pointers in C

Module 1: C Memory Model Essentials

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: Variable storage durations (automatic, static), memory regions, stack frames

• Hands-on: Use objdump and simple C programs to map variables to stack and data segments

Module 2: Pointer Fundamentals

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: Pointer syntax, indirection (*), address-of (&), NULL and void pointers

• Hands-on: Write swap and array-traversal functions using pointers

Module 3: Pointer Arithmetic & Arrays

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: Incrementing/decrementing pointers, pointer–array equivalence, multi-dimensional arrays

• Hands-on: Implement matrix operations (addition, multiplication) via pointer arithmetic

Module 4: Dynamic Memory Management

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: malloc vs. calloc, resizing with realloc, detecting and avoiding leaks

• Hands-on: Build a dynamic vector that grows as elements are appended

Module 5: Function Pointers & Callbacks

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: Declaring/calling function pointers, callback patterns, and dispatch tables

• Hands-on: Create a generic sort routine accepting different comparison callbacks

Module 6: Pointers-to-Pointers & Data Structures

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: Double pointers, dynamic 2D arrays, linked lists, trees via pointers

• Hands-on: Implement a singly linked list with insert, delete, and traversal functions

Module 7: Memory Safety & Debugging

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: Common pitfalls (use-after-free, buffer overruns), tools (valgrind, AddressSanitizer)

• Hands-on: Introduce intentional memory bugs and diagnose/fix them using valgrind

Module 8: Best Practices & Capstone Project

⏳ 1 week

• Topics: Alignment, custom memory pools, RAII-like patterns via macros, documentation

• Hands-on: Design and integrate a simple memory-pool allocator into a sample application

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