Dynamic Memory Allocator in C

This project is my own implementation of a dynamic memory allocator—essentially, I recreated the core functionality of malloc, free, and realloc in C. The goal was to better understand low-level memory management and allocator design by building one from scratch.

Features

• Custom malloc, free, and realloc: Handles dynamic memory allocation, deallocation, and resizing, with 16-byte alignment.
• Heap Consistency Checker: Includes a built-in tool to verify heap integrity and catch bugs early.
• Flexible Design: Started with an implicit free list and iteratively improved performance and space utilization with more advanced techniques.
• No Standard Library Allocation Calls: All memory management is handled internally, using a simulated heap interface.
• Debugging Support: Integrated with GDB and includes detailed error reporting for easier troubleshooting.

How it Works

• The allocator manages a simulated heap and tracks free and allocated blocks.
• All pointer arithmetic and block management are handled manually, providing insight into how real allocators work under the hood.
• The heap checker scans for overlapping blocks, uncoalesced free space, and other common issues.

Why I Built This

I wanted hands-on experience with the challenges of memory management in C—pointer arithmetic, fragmentation, and performance trade-offs. This project provided a deep dive into how allocators work and the subtle bugs that can arise in low-level code.

Testing

• Built-in tests simulate real-world allocation patterns.
• Performance is measured in both space utilization and throughput.
• Debugging is supported with GDB and custom heap checks.

Lessons Learned

• Writing a memory allocator is a great way to understand systems programming.
• Heap consistency checking is essential for catching subtle bugs.
• Incremental development and frequent testing are key to success.

---

Feel free to fork, explore, and experiment with allocator design!

[1] https://ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/web/direct-files/attachments/48964814/bed62008-a7fa-4c0d-815f-dfb78f821d81/paste.txt [2] https://ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/web/direct-files/attachments/48964814/aa215c85-7d7f-4ef0-b6ab-f8cff7d9336e/paste.txt