GLib.clear_pointer
Description: Reference for GLib.clear_pointer

### Function

# GLibclear_pointer

since: 2.34

#### Declaration [src]

    void
    g_clear_pointer (
      gpointer* pp,
      GDestroyNotify destroy
    )

#### Description [src]

Clears a reference to a variable.

`pp` must not be `NULL`.

If the reference is `NULL` then this function does nothing. Otherwise, the variable is destroyed using `destroy` and the pointer is set to `NULL`.

A macro is also included that allows this function to be used without pointer casts. This will mask any warnings about incompatible function types or calling conventions, so you must ensure that your `destroy` function is compatible with being called as `GDestroyNotify` using the standard calling convention for the platform that GLib was compiled for; otherwise the program will experience undefined behaviour.

Examples of this kind of undefined behaviour include using many Windows Win32 APIs, as well as many if not all OpenGL and Vulkan calls on 32-bit Windows, which typically use the `__stdcall` calling convention rather than the `__cdecl` calling convention.

The affected functions can be used by wrapping them in a `GDestroyNotify` that is declared with the standard calling convention:

    // Wrapper needed to avoid mismatched calling conventions on Windows
    static void
    destroy_sync (void *sync)
    {
      glDeleteSync (sync);
    }

    // …

    g_clear_pointer (&sync, destroy_sync);

Available since: 2.34

This function is not directly available to language bindings.

#### Parameters

`pp`

  Type: `gpointer*`

  A pointer to a variable, struct member etc. holding a pointer.

  The argument will be modified by the function.

`destroy`

  Type: `GDestroyNotify`

  A function to which a gpointer can be passed, to destroy `*pp`.