xref: /freebsd/lib/libc/stdlib/reallocarray.3 (revision 8ddb146abcdf061be9f2c0db7e391697dafad85c)
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31.Dd May 1, 2015
32.Dt REALLOCARRAY 3
33.Os
34.Sh NAME
35.Nm reallocarray
36.Nd memory reallocation function
37.Sh LIBRARY
38.Lb libc
39.Sh SYNOPSIS
40.In stdlib.h
41.Ft void *
42.Fn reallocarray "void *ptr" "size_t nmemb" "size_t size"
43.Sh DESCRIPTION
44The
45.Fn reallocarray
46function is similar to the
47.Fn realloc
48function
49except it operates on
50.Fa nmemb
51members of size
52.Fa size
53and checks for integer overflow in the calculation
54.Fa nmemb
55*
56.Fa size .
57.Sh RETURN VALUES
58The
59.Fn reallocarray
60function returns a pointer to the allocated space; otherwise, a
61.Dv NULL
62pointer is returned and
63.Va errno
64is set to
65.Er ENOMEM .
66.Sh EXAMPLES
67Consider
68.Fn reallocarray
69when there is multiplication in the
70.Fa size
71argument of
72.Fn malloc
73or
74.Fn realloc .
75For example, avoid this common idiom as it may lead to integer overflow:
76.Bd -literal -offset indent
77if ((p = malloc(num * size)) == NULL)
78	err(1, "malloc");
79.Ed
80.Pp
81A drop-in replacement is the
82.Ox
83extension
84.Fn reallocarray :
85.Bd -literal -offset indent
86if ((p = reallocarray(NULL, num, size)) == NULL)
87	err(1, "reallocarray");
88.Ed
89.Pp
90When using
91.Fn realloc ,
92be careful to avoid the following idiom:
93.Bd -literal -offset indent
94size += 50;
95if ((p = realloc(p, size)) == NULL)
96	return (NULL);
97.Ed
98.Pp
99Do not adjust the variable describing how much memory has been allocated
100until the allocation has been successful.
101This can cause aberrant program behavior if the incorrect size value is used.
102In most cases, the above sample will also result in a leak of memory.
103As stated earlier, a return value of
104.Dv NULL
105indicates that the old object still remains allocated.
106Better code looks like this:
107.Bd -literal -offset indent
108newsize = size + 50;
109if ((newp = realloc(p, newsize)) == NULL) {
110	free(p);
111	p = NULL;
112	size = 0;
113	return (NULL);
114}
115p = newp;
116size = newsize;
117.Ed
118.Pp
119As with
120.Fn malloc ,
121it is important to ensure the new size value will not overflow;
122i.e. avoid allocations like the following:
123.Bd -literal -offset indent
124if ((newp = realloc(p, num * size)) == NULL) {
125	...
126.Ed
127.Pp
128Instead, use
129.Fn reallocarray :
130.Bd -literal -offset indent
131if ((newp = reallocarray(p, num, size)) == NULL) {
132	...
133.Ed
134.Sh SEE ALSO
135.Xr realloc 3
136.Sh HISTORY
137The
138.Fn reallocarray
139function first appeared in
140.Ox 5.6
141and
142.Fx 11.0 .
143