Allocate memory and save string in c

by 
char *test = (char*) malloc(12*sizeof(char));

        +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
test--->|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|   (uninitialized memory, heap)
        +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

test = "testingonly";

        +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
test +  |x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|x|
     |  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
     |  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
     +->|t|e|s|t|i|n|g|o|n|l|y|0|  
        +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

free(test); // error, because test is no longer pointing to allocated space.

Instead of changing the pointer test, you need to copy the string "testingonly" into the allocated place using e.g. strcpy or use strdup. Note that functions like malloc and strdup return NULL if insufficient memory is available, and thus should be checked.

char *test = (char*) malloc(12*sizeof(char));
strcpy(test, "testingonly");

        +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
test--->|t|e|s|t|i|n|g|o|n|l|y|0|
        +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

or

char *test = strdup("testingonly");

        +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
test--->|t|e|s|t|i|n|g|o|n|l|y|0|
        +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

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