From: mert0407 AT sable DOT ox DOT ac DOT uk (George Foot)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: C & static
Date: 26 Apr 1997 13:29:42 GMT
Organization: Oxford University, England
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Bob Kematick (Bob AT ge DOT chem DOT binghamton DOT edu) wrote:
: Ruiter de M (mdruiter AT cs DOT vu DOT nl) wrote:
: : Ian Mausolus (mausolus AT ican DOT net) wrote:
: : : What is the significance of the word "static" in front of a function name
: : : in C?

: [ snip ]

: : That means, that the function is declared local to the file. No other file
: : can use it (by means of a .h-file).

: [ snip again]

: Nonsense.

[snipped example]

That's not what he meant. If file1.c contains a function and file2.c calls
it (having a suitable prototype) the linker will find the correct
function. However, if the function in file1.c is declared static, file2.c
is not allowed to use it; the linker will not find the function, and you
will get an error.

The point of the keyword is that if you have a function which is only used
internally to the .c file it is in and another .c file attempts to use a
symbol of the same name, an error will occur. Declaring the function
static will remove this error.

-- 
George Foot <mert0407 AT sable DOT ox DOT ac DOT uk>
Merton College, Oxford