Do I cast the result of malloc?

 

Yes, you should cast the result of malloc in C, but it's generally considered better practice to avoid casting the result of malloc in C++.

In C:

c

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main() {
    int *ptr;

    ptr = (int *)malloc(sizeof(int)); // Casting the result of malloc
    if (ptr == NULL) {
        printf("Memory allocation failed\n");
        return 1;
    }

    *ptr = 42;
    printf("Value at ptr: %d\n", *ptr);

    free(ptr); // Remember to free the allocated memory
    return 0;
}

In C++, casting the result of malloc is not necessary and can even be harmful if you forget to include the <cstdlib> header. Instead, use new and delete for dynamic memory allocation in C++:

cpp

#include <iostream>

int main() {
    int *ptr;

    ptr = new int; // No need to cast in C++
    if (ptr == nullptr) {
        std::cout << "Memory allocation failed" << std::endl;
        return 1;
    }

    *ptr = 42;
    std::cout << "Value at ptr: " << *ptr << std::endl;

    delete ptr; // Remember to delete the allocated memory
    return 0;
}

Keep in mind that in modern C++, using containers like std::vector or smart pointers like std::unique_ptr is often a safer and more convenient way to manage dynamic memory.