the static identifier in the global scope

[parag_paul@hotmail.com]

hi All
for the following

#include <stdio.h>
typedef struct{
int a ;
int b[100];
char* j;
} AST;

static AST a;


Now is there any need for the static identifier?
-Parag

[Ian Collins]

Re: the static identifier in the global scope

parag_paul@hotm ail.com wrote:

hi All
for the following
>
#include <stdio.h>
typedef struct{
int a ;
int b[100];
char* j;
} AST;
>
static AST a;
>
>
Now is there any need for the static identifier?

Where do you want a to be visible? Any decent C book will explain this.

--
Ian Collins.

[Richard Heathfield]

Re: the static identifier in the global scope

parag_paul@hotm ail.com said:

hi All
for the following
>
#include <stdio.h>
typedef struct{
int a ;
int b[100];
char* j;
} AST;
>
static AST a;
>
>
Now is there any need for the static identifier?

No. There isn't even any need for the object or the type, because they are
not used by the (non-existent) program.

Code does not exist in a vacuum. Whether you use static qualification
depends on what you're trying to achieve, and we're not mind readers.

--
Richard Heathfield <http://www.cpax.org.uk >
Email: -http://www. +rjh@
Google users: <http://www.cpax.org.uk/prg/writings/googly.php>
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999

[Jack Klein]

Re: the static identifier in the global scope

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:46:45 -0700 (PDT), "parag_paul@hot mail.com"
<parag_paul@hot mail.comwrote in comp.lang.c:

hi All
for the following
>
#include <stdio.h>
typedef struct{
int a ;
int b[100];
char* j;
} AST;
>
static AST a;

First, C does not have anything called a "global scope". The snipped
you have shown, if it were compiled, has the definition of an unnamed
structure type, the definition of an alias for that type, and the
definition of an object of this structure type with internal linkage,
all at "file scope", which is the largest scope that C has.

Secondly, even if there is no other definition of that structure type
in other translation units, there still could be another identifier
named "a" with external linkage in other translation units, which
could cause a problem if the static keyword is removed from the object
definition, giving this identifier "a" external linkage.

--
Jack Klein
Home: http://JK-Technology.Com
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