Where Should the Asterisk Go in C Pointer Declarations?

Pointer Placement in Declarations

In pointer declarations, the placement of the asterisk can be a source of confusion. Let's delve into the examples provided to understand the nuances of pointer placement.

Example 1-3:

int* test;
int *test;
int * test;

In these cases, test is declared as a pointer to an int. The asterisk modifies the base type, int, to indicate that test is a pointer rather than an int itself.

Example 4-6:

int* test,test2;
int *test,test2;
int * test,test2;

Case 4: Both test and test2 are pointers to an int. The asterisk applies to both identifiers, as there is no comma separating them.

Case 5 and 6: Only test is a pointer to an int, while test2 is a plain int. The comma separates the two identifiers, indicating that they are distinct declarations.

To avoid confusion, it's generally recommended to place the asterisk immediately before the identifier it modifies. This eliminates ambiguity and ensures that the pointer nature of the variable is clear.

For example:

int* test;  // test is a pointer to an int
int* test2; // test2 is a pointer to an int

Or, for added clarity, the following declaration can be used:

int *test, *test2;  // both test and test2 are pointers to an int

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