NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       alloca - memory allocator

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       #include <stdlib.h>

       void *alloca( size_t size);

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       The alloca function allocates size bytes of space in the stack frame of
       the caller.  This temporary space is automatically freed on return.

RETURN VALUE    [Toc]    [Back]

       The alloca function returns a pointer to the beginning of the allocated
       space.  If the allocation failed, a NULL pointer is returned.

CONFORMING TO    [Toc]    [Back]

       There is evidence that the alloca function appeared in 32v, pwb, pwb.2,
       3bsd, and 4bsd.	There is a man page for it in BSD 4.3.	Linux uses the
       GNU version.

BUGS    [Toc]    [Back]

       The alloca function is machine dependent.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

       brk(2), pagesize(2), calloc(3), malloc(3), realloc(3)



GNU				  1993-11-29			     ALLOCA(3)