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From: meyer@mimsy.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: static variables
Message-ID: <6887@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 2-Jun-87 19:48:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: mimsy.6887
Posted: Tue Jun  2 19:48:28 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 5-Jun-87 01:11:49 EDT
References: <7653@brl-adm.ARPA>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 42

In article <7653@brl-adm.ARPA>, jfjr@mitre-bedford.arpa writes:
> 
> Are character strings local to a function static??
> 
> given this
> 
> int do_something()
> {
>  char * some_string = "some string"
>  do_things;
>  return(some_int);
> }
> 
> is some_string static??
> 
>                                        Jerry Freedman,Jr


Local variables like "char *some_string" are, by default, declared
to be automatic.  The string it points to, however, is in static
memory.  That is, each time function do_something is called, a new
variable named some_string is created on the run-time stack, and
is initialized to point to the beginning of "some string" (which is
in static memory, whose address is calculated at compile-time).

some_string comes and goes as do_something is entered and left, but
the string "some string" exists throughout the execution of the
program.  However, since "some string" is defined inside do_something,
no other program unit outside of do_something can (legitimately)
get access to "some string".

It may be useful to check Kernighan & Ritchie, pp 99-100.

Hope this helps.  Feel free to send me mail if you're still confused.

						John

-- 
John R. Meyer
6100 Westchester Park Dr. Apt. 420
College Park, MD 20740
(301) 474-8271