Proper Way To Initialize Unsigned Char*

Question

What is the proper way to initialize unsigned char*? I am currently doing this:

unsigned char* tempBuffer;
tempBuffer = \"\";

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Answer 1

If you know the size of the buffer at compile time:

unsigned char buffer[SIZE] = {0};

For dynamically allocated buffers (buffers allocated during run-time or on the heap):

1.Prefer the new operator:

unsigned char * buffer = 0;  // Pointer to a buffer, buffer not allocated.
buffer = new unsigned char [runtime_size];

2.Many solutions to "initialize" or fill with a simple value:

std::fill(buffer, buffer + runtime_size, 0); // Prefer to use STL
memset(buffer, 0, runtime_size);
for (i = 0; i < runtime_size; ++i) *buffer++ = 0;  // Using a loop

3.The C language side provides allocation and initialization with one call.
However, the function does not call the object's constructors:

buffer = calloc(runtime_size, sizeof(unsigned char))

Note that this also sets all bits in the buffer to zero; you don't get a choice in the initial value.