something * alloc_something(void) { /* Make two malloc requests. Insure both succeed; return allocated memory, if any. Three possible logic paths: 1. First malloc fails, and we are done. 2. First malloc succeeds, second malloc fails: free the first allocated block, and we are done. 3. First and second mallocs succeed, and we are done. */ something * ret = malloc(sizeof(something)); /* Did the first request succeed? */ if (ret != NULL) { ret->another_thing = alloc_another_thing(); /* Did the second request fail? */ if (ret->another_thing == NULL) { free(ret); ret = NULL; } } return ret; }