What is the Dynamic Memory Allocation?

Dynamic Memory Allocation is the process by which programs are assigned memory or block of memory at runtime. This process is managed by the heap data structure. It is called dynamic because the memory allocation can change and be manipulated during the execution of a program.

Here are the steps to explain Dynamic Memory Allocation:

1. Request for Memory Space: In dynamic memory allocation, the first step is to request the specific amount of memory space that you need. This is done during the runtime of the program, not before the program is run.

2. Allocation of Memory Space: Once the request for memory space is made, the system checks for the availability of the requested amount of memory. If the requested memory space is available, it is allocated to the program. If not, the system does not allocate any memory.

3. Utilization of Allocated Memory: After the memory space is allocated, the program can use this memory to store data. The program has full control over this allocated memory. It can write to this memory, read from it, and manipulate the data stored in it.

4. Deallocation of Memory: Once the program has finished using the allocated memory, it should be deallocated. This is a crucial step because if the memory is not deallocated, it will remain occupied and cannot be used by other programs. This can lead to memory leaks, which can slow down the system or even cause it to crash.

In C and C++ programming languages, dynamic memory allocation can be achieved using built-in functions such as malloc(), calloc(), realloc() and free(). In other high-level languages like Python, Java, etc., dynamic memory allocation is handled automatically by the language.