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Embedded software article: pointers and addresses

My latest article at embedded.com has been published:

Pointers and addresses – a programming minefield

0886FFF7-2322-444E-8CDE-6A3EC6B43588Pointers are a very powerful feature of the C language. In a programming language, power is dangerous, as programmer error can have dire consequences. As a result, many developers favor languages, like Java, which do not support pointers and are, hence, “safer”. However, the power of pointers is valued by embedded developers, who accept that they need to understand their subtle nuances. This article looks at the potential issues with pointers and proposes some guidelines to avoiding problems.

I wrote this article because pointers are so important to embedded developers that a clear understanding is absolutely essential. My goal is to simply clarify some of the details that are not of concern to desktop application programmers.

Colin Walls

I have over thirty years experience in the electronics industry, largely dedicated to embedded software. A frequent presenter at conferences and seminars and author of numerous technical articles and two books on embedded software, I am a member of the marketing team of the Mentor Graphics Embedded Systems Division, and am based in the UK. Away from work, I have a wide range of interests including photography and trying to point my two daughters in the right direction in life. Learn more about Colin, including his go-to karaoke song and the best parts of being British: http://go.mentor.com/3_acv

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This article first appeared on the Siemens Digital Industries Software blog at https://blogs.stage.sw.siemens.com/embedded-software/2016/05/09/embedded-software-article-pointers-and-addresses/