Difference between char a[]="string"; and char *p="string";

What is the difference between char a[]="string"; and char *p="string";?

The first one is array the other is pointer.

The array declaration "char a[6];" requests that space for six characters be set aside, to be known by the name "a." That is, there is a location named "a" at which six characters can sit. The pointer declaration "char *p;" on the other hand, requests a place which holds a pointer. The pointer is to be known by the name "p," and can point to any char (or contiguous array of chars) anywhere.

The statements

char a[] = "hello";
char *p = "world";

would result in data structures which could be represented like this:

   +---+---+---+---+---+---+
a: | h | e | l | l | o |\0 |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+
   +-----+     +---+---+---+---+---+---+
p: |  *======> | w | o | r | l | d |\0 |
   +-----+     +---+---+---+---+---+---+

It is important to realize that a reference like x[3] generates different code depending on whether x is an array or a pointer. 

Given the declarations above, when the compiler sees the expression a[3], it emits code to start at the location "a," move three past it, and fetch the character there. When it sees the expression p[3], it emits code to start at the location "p," fetch the pointer value there, add three to the pointer, and finally fetch the character pointed to.

 In the example above, both a[3] and p[3] happen to be the character 'l', but the compiler gets there differently.

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