Home Articles FAQs XREF Games Software Instant Books BBS About FOLDOC RFCs Feedback Sitemap
irt.Org

dangling pointer

You are here: irt.org | FOLDOC | dangling pointer

<programming> A reference that doesn't actually lead anywhere. In C and some other languages, a pointer that doesn't actually point at anything valid. Usually this happens because it formerly pointed to something that has moved or disappeared, e.g. a heap-allocated block which has been freed and reused.

Used as jargon in a generalisation of its technical meaning; for example, a local phone number for a person who has since moved is a dangling pointer.

This dictionary contains many dangling pointers - cross-references to non-existent entries, as explained in the Help page (//foldoc.org/help.html).

[Jargon File]

(2014-09-20)

Nearby terms: daisy chain « daisywheel printer « dancing frog « dangling pointer » DANTE » DAP Fortran » DAPLEX

FOLDOC, Topics, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, ?, ALL

©2018 Martin Webb