xref: /freebsd/lib/libc/stdlib/reallocarray.3 (revision fa9896e082a1046ff4fbc75fcba4d18d1f2efc19)
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29.Dd May 1, 2015
30.Dt REALLOCARRAY 3
31.Os
32.Sh NAME
33.Nm reallocarray
34.Nd memory reallocation function
35.Sh LIBRARY
36.Lb libc
37.Sh SYNOPSIS
38.In stdlib.h
39.Ft void *
40.Fn reallocarray "void *ptr" "size_t nmemb" "size_t size"
41.Sh DESCRIPTION
42The
43.Fn reallocarray
44function is similar to the
45.Fn realloc
46function
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
56The
57.Fn reallocarray
58function returns a pointer to the allocated space; otherwise, a
59.Dv NULL
60pointer is returned and
61.Va errno
62is set to
63.Er ENOMEM .
64.Sh EXAMPLES
65Consider
66.Fn reallocarray
67when there is multiplication in the
68.Fa size
69argument of
70.Fn malloc
71or
72.Fn realloc .
73For example, avoid this common idiom as it may lead to integer overflow:
74.Bd -literal -offset indent
75if ((p = malloc(num * size)) == NULL)
76	err(1, "malloc");
77.Ed
78.Pp
79A drop-in replacement is the
80.Ox
81extension
82.Fn reallocarray :
83.Bd -literal -offset indent
84if ((p = reallocarray(NULL, num, size)) == NULL)
85	err(1, "reallocarray");
86.Ed
87.Pp
88When using
89.Fn realloc ,
90be careful to avoid the following idiom:
91.Bd -literal -offset indent
92size += 50;
93if ((p = realloc(p, size)) == NULL)
94	return (NULL);
95.Ed
96.Pp
97Do not adjust the variable describing how much memory has been allocated
98until the allocation has been successful.
99This can cause aberrant program behavior if the incorrect size value is used.
100In most cases, the above sample will also result in a leak of memory.
101As stated earlier, a return value of
102.Dv NULL
103indicates that the old object still remains allocated.
104Better code looks like this:
105.Bd -literal -offset indent
106newsize = size + 50;
107if ((newp = realloc(p, newsize)) == NULL) {
108	free(p);
109	p = NULL;
110	size = 0;
111	return (NULL);
112}
113p = newp;
114size = newsize;
115.Ed
116.Pp
117As with
118.Fn malloc ,
119it is important to ensure the new size value will not overflow;
120i.e. avoid allocations like the following:
121.Bd -literal -offset indent
122if ((newp = realloc(p, num * size)) == NULL) {
123	...
124.Ed
125.Pp
126Instead, use
127.Fn reallocarray :
128.Bd -literal -offset indent
129if ((newp = reallocarray(p, num, size)) == NULL) {
130	...
131.Ed
132.Sh SEE ALSO
133.Xr realloc 3
134.Sh HISTORY
135The
136.Fn reallocarray
137function first appeared in
138.Ox 5.6
139and
140.Fx 11.0 .
141