When a variable is declared as being a pointer to type void it is known as a generic pointer. Since you cannot have a variable of type void the pointer will not point to any data and therefore cannot be dereferenced. It is still a pointer though to use it you just have to cast it to another kind of pointer first. Hence the term Generic pointer.

This is very useful when you want a pointer to point to data of different types at different times.

Here is some code using a void pointer:

#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int num[3] {10 20 30};
char name[30] "Welcome to C World";
int *pint NULL;
void *pvoid NULL;
int i;


pint #
for ( i 0; i<3; i++ )
printf(" d " *(pint + i ));
printf("n");

// The same can be done using void pointer as follows.
pvoid #
for ( i 0; i<3; i++ )
printf(" d " *((int *)pvoid + i ));

// Same void pointer can be cast to char.
printf("n");
pvoid name;
for( i 0; i < strlen( name); i++ )
printf(" c" *((char *) pvoid + i));
getch();
}