What is uintptr_t and How is it Used in C and C ?

Understanding the uintptr_t Data Type in C and C

uintptr_t is an integral data type introduced in C99 and adopted into C 11. It serves a unique purpose in computer programming.

What is uintptr_t?

In essence, uintptr_t is an unsigned integer that can represent any valid pointer to void. It provides a way to work with pointers in a generic and portable manner, abstracting away platform-specific details.

Usage of uintptr_t

uintptr_t is commonly used in the following scenarios:

• Interfacing with native code: When calling or working with functions implemented in native code, uintptr_t can be used to pass or receive pointers from one domain to another.
• Cross-platform programming: uintptr_t's platform-independent nature makes it suitable for writing code that needs to run on different architectures and platforms.
• Bit manipulation: uintptr_t can be used to manipulate pointers in a bitwise manner, allowing for efficient operations on memory addresses.

Size and Definition

The size and definition of uintptr_t are implementation-dependent. However, the C99 standard mandates that any valid void pointer can be cast to uintptr_t and back to a void pointer, resulting in a pointer equivalent to the original.

For example, on a 32-bit platform, uintptr_t may be the same size as void*, which is typically 32 bits. On a 64-bit platform, uintptr_t may be 64 bits, allowing it to represent larger addresses.

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