Free dynamically created 3d array in C -

none of answers have found seem address issue. creating dynamic 3d array in c , later freeing it. can store , later access data stored in array using nested loop access violation when trying free using same nested loop setup. going wrong?

unsigned char ***buff1; int r, c; somefunction(&buff1, &r, &c); for(int = 0; < r; ++i) {   for(int j = 0; j < c; ++j)   {     free(buff1[i][j]);   }   free(buff1[i]); } free(buff1);   somefunction(unsigned char**** buff, int *nr, int *nc) {   ...   *buff = (sqlchar***)malloc(*nr * sizeof(sqlchar**));   for(int = 0; < *nr; ++i)   {     (*buff)[i] = (sqlchar**)malloc(*nc * sizeof(sqlchar**));     for(int j = 0; j < *nc; ++j)     {       (*buff)[i][j] = (sqlchar*)malloc(256);     }   } } 

multiple things wrong:

unsigned char**** buff 

what this, if not wrong? (well, ok, not technically, stylistically anyway...)

(sqlchar*)malloc(256); 

isn't better either, since you must not cast return value of malloc() in c.

the third mistake don't have 3d array. have pointer-to-pointer-to-pointer. ewww. ugly. why not allocate true 3d array instead?

size_t xsize, ysize, zsize; // initialize these! unsigned char (*arr)[ysize][zsize] = malloc(sizeof(*arr) * xsize); 

then need in order free is:

free(arr); 

honestly, isn't way better?