Let’s create a table summarizing the key differences between malloc() and calloc() functions in C:
| Aspect | malloc() | calloc() |
|---|---|---|
| Syntax | void* malloc(size_t size); | void* calloc(size_t num_elements, size_t element_size); |
| Memory Initialization | Uninitialized (contains garbage values) | Initialized to zero (all bytes are set to 0) |
| Initialization Overhead | None | Slightly slower due to zero-initialization |
| Usage | Suitable when memory content doesn’t matter | Suitable when initializing memory to zero is necessary |
| Example | int* ptr = (int*)malloc(5 * sizeof(int)); | int* ptr = (int*)calloc(5, sizeof(int)); |
Remember to handle memory allocation errors and free the allocated memory using free() after you’re done using it to avoid memory leaks.