xref: /freebsd/lib/libc/stdlib/reallocarray.3 (revision 7757a1b4dc60696d9a95137ee0a2accd4ee680f4)
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31.\"
32.Dd May 1, 2015
33.Dt REALLOCARRAY 3
34.Os
35.Sh NAME
36.Nm reallocarray
37.Nd memory reallocation function
38.Sh LIBRARY
39.Lb libc
40.Sh SYNOPSIS
41.In stdlib.h
42.Ft void *
43.Fn reallocarray "void *ptr" "size_t nmemb" "size_t size"
44.Sh DESCRIPTION
45The
46.Fn reallocarray
47except it operates on
48.Fa nmemb
49members of size
50.Fa size
51and checks for integer overflow in the calculation
52.Fa nmemb
53*
54.Fa size .
55.Sh RETURN VALUES
56.Fn reallocarray
57return a pointer to the allocated space; otherwise, a
58.Dv NULL
59pointer is returned and
60.Va errno
61is set to
62.Er ENOMEM .
63.Sh EXAMPLES
64Consider
65.Fn reallocarray
66when there is multiplication in the
67.Fa size
68argument of
69.Fn malloc
70or
71.Fn realloc .
72For example, avoid this common idiom as it may lead to integer overflow:
73.Bd -literal -offset indent
74if ((p = malloc(num * size)) == NULL)
75	err(1, "malloc");
76.Ed
77.Pp
78A drop-in replacement is the
79.Ox
80extension
81.Fn reallocarray :
82.Bd -literal -offset indent
83if ((p = reallocarray(NULL, num, size)) == NULL)
84	err(1, "reallocarray");
85.Ed
86.Pp
87When using
88.Fn realloc ,
89be careful to avoid the following idiom:
90.Bd -literal -offset indent
91size += 50;
92if ((p = realloc(p, size)) == NULL)
93	return (NULL);
94.Ed
95.Pp
96Do not adjust the variable describing how much memory has been allocated
97until the allocation has been successful.
98This can cause aberrant program behavior if the incorrect size value is used.
99In most cases, the above sample will also result in a leak of memory.
100As stated earlier, a return value of
101.Dv NULL
102indicates that the old object still remains allocated.
103Better code looks like this:
104.Bd -literal -offset indent
105newsize = size + 50;
106if ((newp = realloc(p, newsize)) == NULL) {
107	free(p);
108	p = NULL;
109	size = 0;
110	return (NULL);
111}
112p = newp;
113size = newsize;
114.Ed
115.Pp
116As with
117.Fn malloc ,
118it is important to ensure the new size value will not overflow;
119i.e. avoid allocations like the following:
120.Bd -literal -offset indent
121if ((newp = realloc(p, num * size)) == NULL) {
122	...
123.Ed
124.Pp
125Instead, use
126.Fn reallocarray :
127.Bd -literal -offset indent
128if ((newp = reallocarray(p, num, size)) == NULL) {
129	...
130.Ed
131.Sh SEE ALSO
132.Xr realloc 3
133.Sh HISTORY
134The
135.Fn reallocf
136function first appeared in
137.Ox 5.6 .
138