How to Use memcpy in C: Best Practices and Common Mistakes
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Summary
C programmers need to master the use of the memcpy function to optimise performance and reliability.
memcpy is used to copy a block of memory from one location to another and is a part of the standard C library.
To use it effectively, best practices include ensuring that blocks of memory are non-overlapping, validating the size argument, and using memcpy only with trivially copyable types.
Common mistakes to avoid include ignoring the return value, using the wrong argument order, and failing to handle overlapping memory blocks, which can lead to undefined behaviour.
By adhering to best practices and avoiding common mistakes, programmers can harness the power of memcpy to produce robust, efficient code in C.