Storage Classes in C

Storage classes in C are used to determine the lifetime, visibility, memory

location, and initial value of a variable. There are four types of storage classes in C

○ Automatic
○ External
○ Static
○ Register

Storage Classes Storage Place Default Value Scope Lifetime

auto RAM Garbage Value Local Within function

extern RAM Zero Global Till the end of the

main program
Maybe declared
anywhere in the
program

static RAM Zero Local Till the end of the

main program,
Retains value
between multiple
functions call

register Register Garbage Value Local Within the

function

Automatic
○ Automatic variables are allocated memory automatically at runtime.
○ The visibility of the automatic variables is limited to the block in which
they are defined.
 ○ The scope of the automatic variables is limited to the block in which
they are defined.The automatic variables are initialized to garbage by
default.
○ The memory assigned to automatic variables gets freed upon exiting
from the block.
○ The keyword used for defining automatic variables is auto.
○ Every local variable is automatic in C by default.

Example 1
​ #include <stdio.h>
​ int main()
​ {
​ int a; //auto
​ char b;
​ float c;
​ printf("%d %c %f",a,b,c); // printing initial default value of automatic
variables a, b, and c.
​ return 0;
​ }

Output:

garbage garbage garbage

Example 2
​ #include <stdio.h>
​ int main()
​ {
​ int a = 10,i;
​ printf("%d ",++a);
​ {
​ int a = 20;
​ for (i=0;i<3;i++)
​ {
​ printf("%d ",a); // 20 will be printed 3 times since it is the local value of a
​ }
​ }
​ printf("%d ",a); // 11 will be printed since the scope of a = 20 is ended.
 ​ }
Output:

11 20 20 20 11

Static
○ The variables defined as static specifier can hold their value between
the multiple function calls.
○ Static local variables are visible only to the function or the block in
which they are defined.
○ A same static variable can be declared many times but can be assigned
at only one time.
○ Default initial value of the static integral variable is 0 otherwise null.
○ The visibility of the static global variable is limited to the file in which it
has declared.
○ The keyword used to define static variable is static.

Example 1
​ #include<stdio.h>
​ static char c;
​ static int i;
​ static float f;
​ static char s[100];
​ void main ()
​ {
​ printf("%d %d %f %s",c,i,f); // the initial default value of c, i, and f will be
printed.
​ }

Output:

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0 0 0.000000 (null)

Example 2
 ​ #include<stdio.h>
​ void sum()
​ {
​ static int a = 10;
​ static int b = 24;
​ printf("%d %d \n",a,b);
​ a++;
​ b++;
​ }
​ void main()
​ {
​ int i;
​ for(i = 0; i< 3; i++)
​ {
​ sum(); // The static variables holds their value between multiple function
calls.
​ }
​ }

Output:

10 24
11 25
12 26

Register
○ The variables defined as the register is allocated the memory into the
CPU registers depending upon the size of the memory remaining in the
CPU.
○ We can not dereference the register variables, i.e., we can not use
&operator for the register variable.
○ The access time of the register variables is faster than the automatic
variables.
○ The initial default value of the register local variables is 0.
○ The register keyword is used for the variable which should be stored in
the CPU register. However, it is compiler?s choice whether or not; the
variables can be stored in the register.
 ○ We can store pointers into the register, i.e., a register can store the
address of a variable.
○ Static variables can not be stored into the register since we can not use
more than one storage specifier for the same variable.

Example 1
​ #include <stdio.h>
​ int main()
​ {
​ register int a; // variable a is allocated memory in the CPU register. The
initial default value of a is 0.
​ printf("%d",a);
​ }

Output:

Example 2
​ #include <stdio.h>
​ int main()
​ {
​ register int a = 0;
​ printf("%u",&a); // This will give a compile time error since we can not
access the address of a register variable.
​ }

Output:

main.c:5:5: error: address of register variable ?a? requested

printf("%u",&a);
^~~~~~

External
○ The external storage class is used to tell the compiler that the variable
defined as extern is declared with an external linkage elsewhere in the
program.
 ○ The variables declared as extern are not allocated any memory. It is only
declaration and intended to specify that the variable is declared
elsewhere in the program.
○ The default initial value of external integral type is 0 otherwise null.
○ We can only initialize the extern variable globally, i.e., we can not
initialize the external variable within any block or method.
○ An external variable can be declared many times but can be initialized
at only once.
○ If a variable is declared as external then the compiler searches for that
variable to be initialized somewhere in the program which may be
extern or static. If it is not, then the compiler will show an error.

Example 1
​ #include <stdio.h>
​ int main()
​ {
​ extern int a;
​ printf("%d",a);
​ }

Output

main.c:(.text+0x6): undefined reference to `a'

collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status

Example 2
​ #include <stdio.h>
​ int a;
​ int main()
​ {
​ extern int a; // variable a is defined globally, the memory will not be
allocated to a
​ printf("%d",a);
​ }

Output

0
Example 3
​ #include <stdio.h>
​ int a;
​ int main()
​ {
​ extern int a = 0; // this will show a compiler error since we can not use
extern and initializer at same time
​ printf("%d",a);
​ }

Output

compile time error

main.c: In function ?main?:
main.c:5:16: error: ?a? has both ?extern? and initializer
extern int a = 0;

Example 4
​ #include <stdio.h>
​ int main()
​ {
​ extern int a; // Compiler will search here for a variable a defined and
initialized somewhere in the pogram or not.
​ printf("%d",a);
​ }
​ int a = 20;

Output

20

Example 5
​ extern int a;
​ int a = 10;
​ #include <stdio.h>
​ int main()
​ {
​ printf("%d",a);
​ }
​ int a = 20; // compiler will show an error at this line