Chain of Pointers in C with Examples

Last Updated : 14 Jul, 2026

A chain of pointers is a series of pointers where each pointer stores the address of another pointer, creating multiple levels of indirection. It is commonly used to access or modify data through multiple pointer levels. 

  • A pointer stores the address of a variable, while a double pointer, triple pointer, and higher-level pointers store the addresses of other pointers.
  • Chain of pointers is useful in dynamic memory management, passing pointers to functions, and working with complex data structures.

// level-1 pointer declaration
datatype *pointer;

// level-2 pointer declaration
datatype **pointer;

// level-3 pointer declaration
datatype ***pointer;
.
.
and so on

The level of the pointer depends on how many asterisks the pointer variable is preceded with at the time of declaration.

Declaration

int *pointer_1;
int **pointer_2;
int ***pointer_3;
.
.
and so on

Level of pointers or say chain can go up to N level depending upon the memory size. If you want to create a pointer of level-5, you need to precede the pointer variable name by 5 asterisks(*) at the time of declaration. 

Initialization

// initializing level-1 pointer with address of variable 'var'
pointer_1 = &var;

// initializing level-2 pointer with address of level-1 pointer
pointer_2 = &pointer_1;

// initializing level-3 pointer with address of level-2 pointer
pointer_3 = &pointer_2;
.
.
and so on

Example:

  • Variable a stores the value 10, while ptr1, ptr2, and ptr3 successively store the addresses of a, ptr1, and ptr2.
  • Since every pointer in the chain ultimately points to a, the value 10 can be accessed through any level of indirection.

Let's understand better with below given cod 

C 
#include <stdio.h>
// C program for chain of pointer

int main()
{
    int var = 10;

    // Pointer level-1
    // Declaring pointer to variable var
    int* ptr1;

    // Pointer level-2
    // Declaring pointer to pointer variable *ptr1
    int** ptr2;

    // Pointer level-3
    // Declaring pointer to double pointer **ptr2
    int*** ptr3;

    // Storing address of variable var
    // to pointer variable ptr1
    ptr1 = &var;

    // Storing address of pointer variable
    // ptr1 to level -2 pointer ptr2
    ptr2 = &ptr1;

    // Storing address of level-2 pointer
    // ptr2 to level-3 pointer ptr3
    ptr3 = &ptr2;

    // Displaying values
    printf("Value of variable "
           "var = %d\n",
           var);
    printf("Value of variable var using"
           " pointer ptr1 = %d\n",
           *ptr1);
    printf("Value of variable var using"
           " pointer ptr2 = %d\n",
           **ptr2);
    printf("Value of variable var using"
           " pointer ptr3 = %d\n",
           ***ptr3);

    return 0;
}

Output
Value of variable var = 10
Value of variable var using pointer ptr1 = 10
Value of variable var using pointer ptr2 = 10
Value of variable var using pointer ptr3 = 10

Example: Consider below-given code where we have taken float data type of the variable, so now we have to take same data type for the chain of pointers too. As the pointer and the variable, it is pointing to should have the same data type.

C 
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
    float var = 23.564327;

    // Declaring pointer variables upto level_4
    float *ptr1, **ptr2, ***ptr3, ****ptr4;

    // Initializing pointer variables
    ptr1 = &var;
    ptr2 = &ptr1;
    ptr3 = &ptr2;
    ptr4 = &ptr3;

    // Printing values
    printf("Value of var = %f\n", var);
    printf("Value of var using level-1"
           " pointer = %f\n",
           *ptr1);
    printf("Value of var using level-2"
           " pointer = %f\n",
           **ptr2);
    printf("Value of var using level-3"
           " pointer = %f\n",
           ***ptr3);
    printf("Value of var using level-4"
           " pointer = %f\n",
           ****ptr4);

    return 0;
}

Output
Value of var = 23.564327
Value of var using level-1 pointer = 23.564327
Value of var using level-2 pointer = 23.564327
Value of var using level-3 pointer = 23.564327
Value of var using level-4 pointer = 23.564327

Example: Updating variable using chained pointer 

Since each pointer in a pointer chain ultimately refers to the same variable, the variable's value can be accessed or modified through any level of indirection. Updating the value using any pointer changes the data stored at the original memory location. 

C 
#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
    // Initializing integer variable
    int var = 10;

    // Declaring pointer variables upto level-3
    int *ptr1, **ptr2, ***ptr3;

    // Initializing pointer variables
    ptr1 = &var;
    ptr2 = &ptr1;
    ptr3 = &ptr2;

    // Printing values BEFORE updation
    printf("Before:\n");
    printf("Value of var = %d\n", var);
    printf("Value of var using level-1"
           " pointer = %d\n",
           *ptr1);
    printf("Value of var using level-2"
           " pointer = %d\n",
           **ptr2);
    printf("Value of var using level-3"
           " pointer = %d\n",
           ***ptr3);

    // Updating var's value using level-3 pointer
    ***ptr3 = 35;

    // Printing values AFTER updation
    printf("After:\n");
    printf("Value of var = %d\n", var);
    printf("Value of var using level-1"
           " pointer = %d\n",
           *ptr1);
    printf("Value of var using level-2"
           " pointer = %d\n",
           **ptr2);
    printf("Value of var using level-3"
           " pointer = %d\n",
           ***ptr3);

    return 0;
}

Output
Before:
Value of var = 10
Value of var using level-1 pointer = 10
Value of var using level-2 pointer = 10
Value of var using level-3 pointer = 10
After:
Value of var = 35
Value of var using level-1 pointer = 35
Value of var using level-2 pointer = 35
Value of var using level-3 pointer = 35

Note: Level-N pointer can only be used to point level-(N-1) pointer. Except for Level-1 pointer. The level-1 pointer will always point to the variable.

Comment

Explore