DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH
Name : Murali Krishna Chintala
Designation : Lecturer in CME
Branch : Computer Engineering
Institute : SUVR & SR GPW, Ethamukkala
Year/Semester : III Semester
Subject Name : UNIX & C
Subject Code : CM – 304
Major Topic : Understand Modular Programming
Duration : 50 Min
Sub Topic : Automatic & Static variables.
Teaching Aids : PPT, Animations

CM304.66 1
Objective

On completion of the class, you would be able to

know:

• Automatic variables.

• Static variables.

• Scope of automatic and static variables.

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 Recap

In the previous class, you have learnt..

• Understand Local Variables.

• Understand Global Variables.

• Differences between local & global variables.

CM304.66 3
 Scope of a variable

• Area or block of program from where the

variable can be accessed is known as the scope
of the variable.

• Scope of the variable depends on it’s storage

class.

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 Storage class of the variable

• The storage area of the variable.

• Initial value of the variable.
• Scope of the variable.
• Life of the variable.

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 Storage classes

Any variable declared in ‘C’ has one of the

four storage classes :

• Automatic
• External
• Static
• Register

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 Automatic variables

• Variables declared with or without a storage

class specification ‘auto’.

• ‘auto’ is the default storage class for local

variables.

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 Scope of automatic variables

• Limited to the block of the function in which they

are declared.

• Once the execution of the function is completed,

these variables are disposed off.

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 Automatic variables

Syntax :
auto data-type variable list;
OR
data-type variable list;

Example :
auto int a,b,c; OR int a,b,c;

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 Automatic variables
Example:
#include< stdio.h>
main()
{
void fun();
auto int x=10,y=20;
printf (“in main program the value of x is
%d and value of y is %d\n”x,y);
fun();
}
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 Automatic variables Contd..

Example:-
void fun()
{
int x =100,y=200;
printf(“in function fun the value of x is %d
and value of y is %d\n”,x,y);
}

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 Automatic variables
Contd..

Output:

• In main the value of x is 10 and value of y is

20.

• In function fun the value of x is 100 and value

of y is 200.

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 Automatic variables
Contd..

• Scope of x and y is limited to main.

• In other words they are limited to main.

• Variables declared inside function fun are also

local to the function fun().

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 Features of automatic variables

• Storage space : main memory

• Default initial value : garbage

• Scope : local to the block in which it

is defined.
• Life : remains till the execution of
the block in which it is
declared.

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 Static variables

• Retains the latest value, when the block or

function in which they are declared is
reinvoked.

• When declared as static ,the variable is

initialized to null value instead of garbage.

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 Static variables Contd..

• Will be initialized only once.

• Contents of static variables remain constant

throughout program execution.

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 Static variables
Contd..

Syntax :

static data-type variable list;

Example :
static int x;

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 Scope of static variables

• Limited to the block or function in which they

are declared.

• Static is the default storage class for global

variables.

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 Types of static variables

• Internal or local static variables.

• External or global static variables.

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 Scope of internal/external static variables

• Scope of internal or local static variables is

local to the function in which they appear.

• Scope of external or global static variables is

throughout the program.

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Scope of internal/external static variables
Contd..

Example :

#include<stdio.h>
void add();
main()
{
add();
}
void add()
{static int x;
x=x+1;
printf(“the value of x is %d\n”,x);
}

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Scope of internal/external static variables
Contd..
Output
The value of x is 1

The value of x is 2

• Since x is defined as static in function add it’s

value is initialized to null at the time of
declaration,hence the output is 1 for the first
time

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Scope of internal/external static variables
Contd..

Output

• Since x is a static variable it retains it’s latest

value.

• When add is called second time, the output is 2.

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 Example for global static variables
#include<stdio.h>
static int no;
main()
{
no=5;
printf(“in main() no=%d\n”,no);
fun1();
fun2();
printf(“after function call no=%d\n”,no);
}

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void fun1() Contd..

{
int x=5;
no=no+x;
printf(“in fun1() no=%d\n”,no);
}
void fun2()
{
int x=5;
no=no+x;
printf(“in fun2() no=%d\n”,no);
}

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Scope of internal/external static variables
Contd..
Output
• In main() no = 5
• In fun1() no = 10
• In fun2() no = 15
• After function call no = 15
• Since ‘no’ is declared as a global static
variable it retains it’s value throughout the
program.

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 Features of static variables
• Storage space : main memory

• Default initial value : zero

• Scope : local to block in which it is

defined.

• Life : variable value persists

between different function
calls.

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 Summary

In this class, we have discussed about :

• Automatic variables.

• Static variables.

• Scope of automatic and static variables.

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 Quiz

1. Default value of automatic variable is..

a) Zero

c) Garbage

e) None

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 Quiz

1. Default value of automatic variable is..

a) Zero

b) Garbage

c) None

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 Quiz
2. Default value of static variable is..

a) Zero

c) Garbage

e) None

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 Quiz

2. Default value of static variable is..

 Zero

 Garbage

 None

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 Quiz

3. Scope of automatic variables is..

a) Within the function

c) Throughout the program

e) Not defined

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 Quiz

3. Scope of automatic variables is..

 Within the function

 Throughout the program

 Not defined

CM304.66 34
 Frequently Asked Questions

1. Explain automatic and static storage classes

with examples? (sep’02,apr’03,apr’04)

2. Compare different types of storage

classes?(apr’05)

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