C pointers Question

Question

For :

int *a;

a is an address where an integer can be stored. &a is an address where a is stored. Then, where is &a stored? And, where is &(&a) stored? And, where is &(&(&a)) stored? Where does this storing of addresses stop?

Answer 1

If you don't explicitly write &a it will not be stored anywhere. If you do write then the address will be computed and stored either in an unnamed variable (temporary) or a named varible you write.

For example:

functionCall( &a ); // address will be in a temporary variable used for passing the parameter
int** b = &a; // address will be stored in variable b
otherFunctionCall( &&a ); // illegal, since &a is an expression operator & can't be applied to it

Answer 2

&a is a constant.

&(&a) is illegal.