The memory location of char array and string in c

Question

Where are the string and char array stored?

int main ()
{
    int a = 0; //This should be stack
    char* p = "hello"; // why this is on the static?
    char k[10] = "hello"; //on the stack?
}

A textbook says that the char pointer (Char* a) will be stored on the static, from my understanding of "static memory", only these 2 will be stored on the static memory:

int a=0;// will on the static
int main()
{
    static xxxxx; //will on the static.
}

i think when you initialize a fixed size array using a string literal it's really a convenience syntax similar to initializing other kinds of fixed arrays using the curly brace syntax. but in other cases string literals live in static memory and you can have pointers that point to them. they last the duration of the program so you don't have to worry about deallocating them. — user6713871
– user6713871, Commented Jun 15, 2020 at 2:19
could you please change one of the variables named a to something else int a and char a[10] — Simson
– Simson, Commented Jun 15, 2020 at 2:24
there is no char* a. And char a[10] is an error since a is already defined as int . — M.M
– M.M, Commented Jun 15, 2020 at 2:25

eddie kuo · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-15 03:11:19Z

6

By 6.7.8.2, the string "hello" in char *p = "hello" is string literal.
String literals are generally located in .rodata, to prevent modification. Also, global variable are located in .data section.

answered Jun 15, 2020 at 3:11

eddie kuo

7281 gold badge5 silver badges15 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

Zan Lynx Over a year ago

And if on a Unix-like @SadSalad could use objdump -s -j .rodata a.out (or real program name in place of a.out) to view it.

SadSalad Over a year ago

So is that true string literals are stored in the static memory?

eddie kuo Over a year ago

@SadSalad Yes, they are.

Daniel Walker · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-15 02:16:00Z

1

a will be on the stack. p itself will be on the stack. However, the data to which it points will be in a read-only section of memory (not the stack).

answered Jun 15, 2020 at 2:16

Daniel Walker

6,9487 gold badges25 silver badges66 bronze badges

2 Comments

tadman Over a year ago

In every case "will" is "might" as it depends on the compiler's whims, as usual. They will be local variables scoped to that block, though.

SadSalad Over a year ago

Is read-only section = static memory? Or is there any relationship between them?

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

The memory location of char array and string in c

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related