Function Pointers in C | Pointer to Functions
A function pointer in C is a variable that stores the memory address of a function, rather than data. This allows functions to be called indirectly, passed as arguments to other functions, or stored in data structures, providing runtime flexibility and modularity to the code.
Declaration: return_type (*pointer_name)(parameter_types);
The parentheses around *pointer_name are crucial to indicate it's a pointer to a function, not a function that returns a pointer.
Assignment: The function name itself acts as the function's address, so the & operator is optional.
pointer_name = function_name;
pointer_name = &function_name;
Calling: A function can be called using either explicit dereferencing or by treating the pointer name as the function name.
(*pointer_name)(arguments);
pointer_name(arguments);
Common Uses
Callback Functions: Passing a function as an argument to another function, enabling the called function to invoke it at a specific time or event.
Customizable Algorithms: Standard library functions like qsort() use function pointers for custom comparison logic, allowing generic sorting of different data types.
Arrays of Function Pointers: Creating jump tables to replace complex switch-case or if-else if statements, useful in menu-driven programs or state machines.
Dynamic Function Execution: Deciding which function to run at runtime based on user input or conditions.
Chapters:-
00:00 Introduction
00:45 what is function pointer
03:53 General form of function pointer
05:22 Function pointer programming
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