xref: /dragonfly/lib/libc/stdlib/reallocarray.3 (revision d79aa16a)
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29.\" $FreeBSD: head/lib/libc/stdlib/reallocarray.3 282472 2015-05-05 10:44:17Z pluknet $
30.\"
31.Dd April 11, 2019
32.Dt REALLOCARRAY 3
33.Os
34.Sh NAME
35.Nm reallocarray ,
36.Nm recallocarray
37.Nd memory reallocation functions
38.Sh LIBRARY
39.Lb libc
40.Sh SYNOPSIS
41.In stdlib.h
42.Ft void *
43.Fn reallocarray "void *ptr" "size_t number" "size_t size"
44.Ft void *
45.Fn recallocarray "void *ptr" "size_t oldnmemb" "size_t nmemb" "size_t size"
46.Sh DESCRIPTION
47The
48.Fn reallocarray
49function is similar to the
50.Fn realloc
51function except it operates on
52.Fa number
53members of size
54.Fa size
55and checks for integer overflow in the calculation
56.Fa number
57*
58.Fa size .
59.Pp
60The
61.Fn recallocarray
62function is similar to
63.Fn reallocarray
64except it ensures newly allocated memory is cleared similar to
65.Fn calloc .
66.Sh RETURN VALUES
67The
68.Fn reallocarray
69function returns a pointer to the allocated space; otherwise, a
70.Dv NULL
71pointer is returned and
72.Va errno
73is set to
74.Er ENOMEM .
75.Sh EXAMPLES
76Consider
77.Fn reallocarray
78when there is multiplication in the
79.Fa size
80argument of
81.Fn malloc
82or
83.Fn realloc .
84For example, avoid this common idiom as it may lead to integer overflow:
85.Bd -literal -offset indent
86if ((p = malloc(num * size)) == NULL)
87	err(1, "malloc");
88.Ed
89.Pp
90A drop-in replacement is the
91.Ox
92extension
93.Fn reallocarray :
94.Bd -literal -offset indent
95if ((p = reallocarray(NULL, num, size)) == NULL)
96	err(1, "reallocarray");
97.Ed
98.Pp
99When using
100.Fn realloc ,
101be careful to avoid the following idiom:
102.Bd -literal -offset indent
103size += 50;
104if ((p = realloc(p, size)) == NULL)
105	return (NULL);
106.Ed
107.Pp
108Do not adjust the variable describing how much memory has been allocated
109until the allocation has been successful.
110This can cause aberrant program behavior if the incorrect size value is used.
111In most cases, the above sample will also result in a leak of memory.
112As stated earlier, a return value of
113.Dv NULL
114indicates that the old object still remains allocated.
115Better code looks like this:
116.Bd -literal -offset indent
117newsize = size + 50;
118if ((newp = realloc(p, newsize)) == NULL) {
119	free(p);
120	p = NULL;
121	size = 0;
122	return (NULL);
123}
124p = newp;
125size = newsize;
126.Ed
127.Pp
128As with
129.Fn malloc ,
130it is important to ensure the new size value will not overflow;
131i.e. avoid allocations like the following:
132.Bd -literal -offset indent
133if ((newp = realloc(p, num * size)) == NULL) {
134	...
135.Ed
136.Pp
137Instead, use
138.Fn reallocarray :
139.Bd -literal -offset indent
140if ((newp = reallocarray(p, num, size)) == NULL) {
141	...
142.Ed
143.Sh SEE ALSO
144.Xr realloc 3
145.Sh HISTORY
146The
147.Fn reallocarray
148function first appeared in
149.Ox 5.6
150and
151.Dx 5.5 .
152.Pp
153The
154.Fn recallocarray
155function appeared in
156.Ox 6.1
157and
158.Dx 5.5 .
159