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Groups > comp.lang.c > #138631

Re: Pointer conversion and alignment

From Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: Pointer conversion and alignment
Date 2018-12-09 14:04 -0800
Organization None to speak of
Message-ID <ln5zw2jr13.fsf@kst-u.example.com> (permalink)
References (8 earlier) <kfnmupkuq5l.fsf@x-alumni2.alumni.caltech.edu> <NaQND.191644$Ol2.69953@fx17.iad> <kfny38ztm3w.fsf@x-alumni2.alumni.caltech.edu> <qC8PD.224612$un2.215412@fx14.iad> <z8ePD.224619$un2.14043@fx14.iad>

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Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> writes:
[...]
> Thinking about this a bit more, first the DR is to C90, and as I pointed
> out, the direct question being asked was the about the round tripping of
> a pointer value.

No, the question being asked was about alignment.  The sub-question
about round-trip conversion was an example of a consequence of the
answer to the main question.  The response addresses both the main
question and the example.

    http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/WG14/www/docs/dr_075.html

    Question

    Item 12 - alignment of allocated memory 
    Is a piece of memory allocated by malloc required to be aligned
    suitably for any type, or only for those types that will fit into
    the space? For example, following the assignment:
        void *vp = malloc (1); 
    is it required that (void *)(int *)vp compare equal to vp (assuming
    that sizeof(int) > 1), or is it permissible for vp to be a value not
    suitably aligned to point to an int?

    Response 

    Subclause 7.10.3 requires allocated memory to be suitably aligned
    for any type, so they must compare equal.

You *could* have an implementation in which a non-null pointer
returned by malloc(1) is not suitably aligned to point to an int,
and yet the round-trip conversion still works -- but the response
says that such an implementation would not be conforming.

> C90 had even less defined about being able to do anything to figure out
> how aligned a pointer was. The 'off hand' comment that 7.10.3 requiring
> the memory actually being aligned for /any/ type is first obsolete, as
> the later standard introduces over-aligned types that need stricter
> alignment than malloc needs to meet.

The DR applies to C90, and there were some changes in the wording
between C90 and C11, but I believe the DR still applies to the
new wording.  The pointer still has to be "suitably aligned so
that it may be assigned to a pointer to any type of object *with
a fundamental alignment requirement*", and we can reasonably add
that wording to the DR, but there was no point in going back and
updating it.

> Also, due to the 'as if' rule, and the Undefined Behavior nature of
> actually accessing an object bigger than the allocated space, there is
> no way I can think of for the application to actually detect that the
> pointer isn't properly aligned using only defined behavior. (Can you?
> especially using only defined behavor from C90)
>
> Note that the normal method of casting the pointer to an integer type
> and masking bits only works if the implementation very specifically
> defines that this works.

Yes -- but if an implementation defines that it works, we can still use
it to determine whether the pointer is correctly aligned.  We can't
detect whether the result of malloc(1) is suitably aligned using only
language-defined behavior, but we can, *for some implementations*,
detect it using implementation-defined behavior (while avoiding any
undefined behavior).

For an implementation that specifies certain behaviors for pointer
representations and pointer-to-integer conversions, the following
program must not print "malloc(1) is NOT suitably aligned for int*".
For an implementation that doesn't specify those behaviors, it could.

The specific implementation-defined requirements I have in mind are:
- uintptr_t exists
- If a given void* value is N-byte aligned, then converting the value
  to uintprt_t yields a value congruent to 0 modulo N.
(I may have missed something.)

(An implementation for which malloc(1) returns a misaligned pointer, but
which doesn't provide any implementation-defined way to determine a
pointer's alignment, could be non-conforming but in a way that is not
possible to detect.  Which is why I question the usefulness of the
requirement -- but I accept, given the DR, that it is a requirement.)

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>                      
#include <stdint.h>
             
#ifndef UINTPTR_MAX
    #error "uintptr_t is not defined"
#endif
    
int main(void) {              
    void *p = malloc(1);
    if (p == NULL) {
        puts("malloc(1) failed");
    }
    else {
        uintptr_t n = (uintptr_t)p;
        if (n % _Alignof (int) == 0) {
            puts("malloc(1) is suitably aligned for int*");
        }
        else {
            puts("malloc(1) is NOT suitably aligned for int*");
        }
    }
}

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst@mib.org  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Will write code for food.
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

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Thread

Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-17 14:38 +0300
  Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-17 17:37 +0300
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-17 21:01 +0000
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 00:43 +0300
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 01:20 +0300
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-17 18:12 -0500
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 02:32 +0300
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-17 18:59 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 12:40 +0300
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-18 02:14 +0000
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 13:23 +0300
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-18 11:28 +0000
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 15:31 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-18 15:03 +0000
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 23:00 +0300
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 00:49 +0300
  Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-11-17 06:52 -0800
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2018-11-18 09:18 +1300
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-17 13:49 -0800
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-11-17 13:57 -0800
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2018-11-18 11:08 +1300
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 01:13 +0300
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-17 18:37 -0800
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Philipp Klaus Krause <pkk@spth.de> - 2018-11-18 14:14 +0100
  Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-17 10:05 -0500
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 01:08 +0300
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-17 14:31 -0800
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-17 16:10 -0800
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 15:01 +0300
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-18 07:25 -0500
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-19 21:30 -0800
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-20 14:20 -0800
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-17 18:04 -0500
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Philipp Klaus Krause <pkk@spth.de> - 2018-11-18 14:18 +0100
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2018-11-18 19:49 +0000
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-23 18:27 -0800
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-23 21:59 -0500
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-24 00:32 -0800
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-24 08:17 -0500
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-29 09:55 -0800
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-29 21:48 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-12-05 04:14 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-05 08:14 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-12-05 05:29 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-12-05 14:44 +0100
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-05 21:58 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-12-05 16:38 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2018-12-05 14:23 +0000
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-12-05 14:35 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-12-08 19:28 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-09 08:18 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-09 14:35 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-12-09 14:04 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-09 20:40 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-12-17 07:18 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-12-17 12:35 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-12-17 12:48 -0800
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-24 18:33 -0800
  My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-19 02:26 +0300
    Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 11:08 +0000
      Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-19 15:37 +0300
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-19 15:39 +0300
          Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 15:07 +0000
            Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-19 22:24 +0300
              Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 12:33 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 00:34 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 14:38 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-20 00:43 +0000
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-19 21:44 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jadill33@gmail.com - 2018-11-20 07:11 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] bart4858@gmail.com - 2018-11-20 10:02 -0800
              Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 22:20 +0000
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-20 14:01 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Melzzzzz <Melzzzzz@zzzzz.com> - 2018-11-20 11:07 +0000
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-20 15:12 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-20 08:15 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 23:08 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-20 14:13 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-21 16:38 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-21 09:05 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-21 20:28 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-21 12:58 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-22 01:47 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-21 15:50 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-24 19:37 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-21 21:22 +0000
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-21 01:15 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 15:06 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] mark.bluemel@gmail.com - 2018-11-19 08:05 -0800
          Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2018-11-19 16:49 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 10:35 -0800
          Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 00:45 +0300
            Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 14:24 -0800
              Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-20 15:05 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-20 08:31 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-20 20:02 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-21 22:47 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-21 13:08 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-22 00:31 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-21 21:36 +0000
      Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-19 16:04 +0300
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 14:56 +0000
    Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-24 19:24 +0300
      Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-24 21:31 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-24 21:46 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-25 01:12 +0300
          Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-25 01:39 +0000
            Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-25 14:19 +0300
  Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jadill33@gmail.com - 2018-11-19 08:44 -0800
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 00:02 +0300
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-19 13:51 -0800
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 01:08 +0300
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 14:31 -0800
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-20 15:21 +0300
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-20 08:59 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-20 11:06 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-20 12:43 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-20 14:33 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-21 14:33 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-21 07:49 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-21 12:42 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-21 08:41 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-25 15:06 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-25 10:47 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-26 12:42 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-11-26 03:07 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-26 12:56 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-26 18:17 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-26 09:06 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-26 23:52 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-26 13:13 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-27 00:31 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-26 14:15 -0800
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jadill33@gmail.com - 2018-11-19 14:33 -0800

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