Types of storage class specifiers in c programming
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There are 4 storage class specifiers in C - auto, extern, static, and register - that determine where a variable is stored in memory and the scope and lifetime of the variable. Auto variables are stored in CPU memory and last within the function, extern variables can be defined anywhere but last till the end of the program, static variables retain their value between function calls and are stored in CPU memory, and register variables are stored in register memory and also last within the function but access the fastest.
Types of storage class specifiers in c programming
- 1. Types of Storage Class Specifiers in C: There are 4 storage class specifiers available in C language. They are, 1. auto 2. extern 3. static 4. register S.No. Storage Specifier Storage place Initial / default value Scope Life 1 auto CPU Memory Garbage value local Within the function only. 2 extern CPU memory Zero Global Till the end of the main program. Variable definition might be anywhere in the C program 3 static CPU memory Zero local Retains the value of the variable between different function calls. 4 register Register memory Garbage value local Within the function Note: For faster access of a variable, it is better to go for register specifiers rather than auto specifiers. Because, register variables are stored in register memory whereas auto variables are stored in main CPU memory. Only few variables can be stored in register memory. So, we can use variables as register that are used very often in a C program.