Memory Detective Assignment

Overview

This assignment investigates how C programs organize memory by exploring the four main memory segments:

• Stack: Automatic storage for local variables and function calls
• Heap: Dynamic memory allocated during program execution
• Data: Global and static variables with fixed addresses
• Text: Program code (not directly explored in this assignment)

Files in This Repository

• memory_detective.c - Main assignment file with TODO sections to complete
• README.md - This file

Getting Started

Prerequisites

You need a C compiler installed on your machine. See Resource 1 in the assignment for installation instructions.

Verify your installation:

gcc --version

Compiling Your Program

Option 1: Use the helper script (Mac/Linux)

chmod +x compile_and_run.sh  # Make script executable (only needed once)
./compile_and_run.sh

Option 2: Compile manually

gcc -Wall -Wextra memory_detective.c -o memory_detective
./memory_detective

For Windows Users

gcc -Wall -Wextra memory_detective.c -o memory_detective.exe
memory_detective.exe

What You Need to Do

Complete all TODO sections in memory_detective.c:

1. Part 1: Data Types and Sizes - Declare variables of different types and print their addresses and sizes
2. Part 2: Stack Allocation - Investigate local variables in functions
3. Part 3: Data Segment - Examine global and static variables
4. Part 4: Heap Allocation - Allocate memory dynamically using malloc()

Format Specifiers

• %d for int
• %f for float
• %lf for double
• %c for char
• %p for pointers/addresses (use with (void*)&variable)
• %zu for size_t (returned by sizeof())

Memory Address Printing

Always cast addresses to (void*) when using %p:

printf("address = %p\n", (void*)&my_variable);

Malloc Usage

int *ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));  // Allocate
if (ptr != NULL) {
    *ptr = 777;                         // Use
    free(ptr);                          // Free when done
}

Submission Requirements

1. Code: Push your completed memory_detective.c to your GitHub repository
2. Reflection: Include reflection.txt or reflection.md (400-500 words) addressing:
   • Python vs C Memory Model (200-250 words)
   • Memory Observations (200-250 words)