NAME

alloca - memory allocator

SYNOPSIS

cc [ flag... ] file ...  -lucb
#include <alloca.h>
char *alloca(size)
int size;

DESCRIPTION

alloca allocates size bytes of space in the stack frame of the caller, and returns a pointer to the allocated block. This temporary space is automatically freed when the caller returns. Note: if the allocated block is beyond the current stack limit, the resulting behavior is undefined.

SEE ALSO

sigstack(3), sigvec(3).   csh(1)  in  the  User's  Reference
Manual.
ld(1), brk(2), getrlimit(2), calloc(3), and malloc(3) in the
Programmer's Reference Manual.  Stephenson, C.J., Fast Fits,
in Proceedings of the ACM 9th Symposium  on  Operating  Sys-
tems,  SIGOPS  Operating  Systems  Review,  vol.  17, no. 5,
October 1983.

Core Wars, in Scientific American, May 1984.

NOTES

alloca is machine-, compiler-, and most of all, system-dependent. Its use is strongly discouraged.