alloca(3)          UNIX System V(BSD Compatibility Package)           alloca(3)


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 Systems, 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.






















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