[C++] 变量存储类型-英文版

Variable Storage Classes

Automatic: auto

• storage is automatically allocated on function/block entry and automatically freed when the function/block is exited
• may not be used with global variables (which have storage space that exists for the life of the program)
• autois the default for function/block variables
  • auto int a is the same as int a
  • because it is the default, it is almost never used

Optimization Hint: register

• register provides a hint to the compiler that you think a variable will be frequently used
• compiler is free to ignore register hint
• if ignored, the variable is equivalent to an auto variable with the exception that you may not take the address of a register (since, if put in a register, the variable will not have an address)
• rarely used, since any modern compiler will do a better job of optimization than most programmers

Static Storage: static

• if used inside a block or function, the compiler will create space for the variable which lasts for the life of the program（生命周期为整个程序运行期）

• int counter(void) {
  	static int cnt = 0;
  	return cnt++;
  }
  

  causes the counter()function to return a constantly increasing number

External References: extern

• If a variable is declared (with global scope) in one file but referenced in another, the extern keyword is used to inform the compiler of the variable’s existence:

  • In declare.c :

    int farvar;
    

  • In use.c :

    {
    	extern int farvar;
    	int a;
    	a = farvar * 2;
    }
    

• Note that theexternkeyword is for declarations, not definitions

  • An extern declaration does not create any storage; that must be done with a global definition（extern变量的声明不会被分配内存空间，必须在其他文件中进行定义）

Private Variables: static

• another use for the statickeyword is to ensure that code outside this file cannot modify variables that are globally declared inside this file（static变量拥有文件作用域）

  • If declare.c had declared farvar as:

    static int farvar; // 文件作用域，只对declare.c可见
    

    then the

    extern int farvar // 对于use.c不可见
    

    statement in use.c would cause an error

  • This use of static is commonly used in situations where a group of functions need to share information but do not want to risk other functions changing their internal variables

    static int do_ping = 1;	/* start with `PING' */
    
    void ping(void) {
    	if (do_ping == 1) {
    		printf("PING ");
    		do_ping = 0;
    	}
    }
    
    void pong(void) {
    	if (do_ping == 0) {
    		printf("PONG\n");
    		do_ping = 1;
    	}
    }
    

Variable Initialization

• auto , register and staticvariables may be initialized at creation:

  int main(void) {
  	int a = 0;
  	register int start = 1234;
  	static float pi = 3.141593;
  }
  

• Any global and static variables which have not been explicitly initialized by the programmer are set to zero

• If an auto or registervariable has not been explicitly initialized, it contains whatever was previously stored in the space that is allocated to it

  • this means that auto and register variables should always be initialized before being used（特别注意）
  • compiler may provide a switch to warn about uninitialized variables