Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!uwmcsd1!mrsvr!roth
From: roth@mrsvr.UUCP (Dean Roth)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: static stuff...
Message-ID: <235@mrsvr.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Nov-87 09:55:29 EST
Article-I.D.: mrsvr.235
Posted: Wed Nov 18 09:55:29 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Nov-87 04:53:25 EST
References: <3011@sigi.Colorado.EDU>
Organization: GE Medical, MR Center, Milwaukee
Lines: 16

In article <3011@sigi.Colorado.EDU>, swarbric@tramp.Colorado.EDU (SWARBRICK FRANCIS JOHN) writes:
> First, what is the significance of making a static function?
> 
> Second, aren't all global variables automatically static.  Is there any
> reason to explicitly call them static?
> 
> swarbric@tramp.UUCP

Global and static global (extern) variables are not the same thing.
A static global can only be referenced by code in the same source code
file. A non-static global can be referenced by any function, even if it
is in a different source file and separately compiled and linked.
 

One reason to declare a global variable static is to restrict its scope-
only functions in that same source file can reference the variable.