realloc() unable to allocate

Article View: comp.std.c

Article #2195

#2195

From: Phil Howard
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 21:26

17 lines
910 bytes

If realloc() is unable to allocate the larger space desired, what happens?

7.10.3.4 says:

    "...  If the space cannot be allocated, the object pointed to by ptr
    is unchanged.  ..."

and

    "The realloc function returns either a null pointer or a pointer to the
    possible moved allocated space".


While it SEEMS apparent that the meaning is that if realloc() cannot allocate
more space, it would return the NULL pointer (and to reuse the original object,
the pointer to it must be retained by the caller), I don't see any literal
statement to that effect.  Is there a concensus?

Technical Details

Message-ID: <BvIJJz.BpD@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>

Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!caen!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!phil

Show Full Headers

Complete Article Headers

Newsgroups: comp.std.c
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!caen!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!phil
From: phil@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Phil Howard)
Subject: realloc() unable to allocate
Message-ID: <BvIJJz.BpD@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 21:26:08 GMT
Lines: 17