Day 3/30: Stack vs. Heap.
On the Stack, variables are cleaned up automatically when a function ends. It's safe, but limited in size.
On the Heap (using malloc), you can allocate massive amounts of memory that persist as long as you want. But there is a catch: You are the Garbage Collector.
The Rule of Thumb: For every malloc() you write, write the free() immediately.
If you forget, that memory block stays occupied until your program dies. Do this enough times in a long-running server, and you crash the system.
Today was all about learning to borrow resources and ensuring I return them.
The Code
Here is the C code for Day 3:
CODE
// Day 3: The Danger of the Heap
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h> // Required for malloc/free
void dangerous_function() {
// Requesting memory from the Heap
// This lives outside the function's scope
// 100 integers * 4 bytes = 400 bytes allocated
int *data = (int*)malloc(100 * sizeof(int));
// Always check if the OS actually gave you the memory
if (data == NULL) {
printf("Memory allocation failed!\n");
return;
}
// ... process data ...
data[0] = 42;
printf("Heap memory allocated. Value: %d\n", data[0]);
// CRITICAL: If you forget this, the memory
// remains "occupied" forever (Memory Leak)
free(data);
// Good practice: Remove the dangling pointer
// so you don't accidentally use it again
data = NULL;
printf("Heap memory freed.\n");
}
Vollständiger Original-Bericht
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