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5b2abdfb 1.\" Copyright (c) 1980, 1991, 1993
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2.\" The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
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32.\" @(#)alloca.3 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/4/93
33.\" $FreeBSD: src/lib/libc/stdlib/alloca.3,v 1.11 2003/06/28 22:12:30 ru Exp $
e9ce8d39 34.\"
5b2abdfb 35.Dd June 4, 1993
224c7076 36.Dt ALLOCA 3
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37.Os
38.Sh NAME
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39.Nm alloca
40.Nd memory allocator
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41.Sh LIBRARY
42.Lb libc
43.Sh SYNOPSIS
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44.In alloca.h
45or
46.br
47.In stdlib.h
5b2abdfb 48.Ft void *
224c7076 49.Fn alloca "size_t size"
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50.Sh DESCRIPTION
51The
224c7076 52.Fn alloca
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53function
54allocates
55.Fa size
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56bytes of space in the stack frame of the caller.
57This temporary space is automatically freed on
58return.
e9ce8d39 59.Sh RETURN VALUES
5b2abdfb 60The
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61.Fn alloca
62function returns a pointer to the beginning of the allocated space.
63If the allocation failed, a
64.Dv NULL
65pointer is returned.
66.Sh SEE ALSO
67.Xr brk 2 ,
68.Xr calloc 3 ,
69.Xr getpagesize 3 ,
70.Xr malloc 3 ,
71.Xr realloc 3
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72.Sh HISTORY
73The
224c7076 74.Fn alloca
5b2abdfb 75function appeared in
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76.At 32v .
77.\" .Bx ?? .
78.\" The function appeared in 32v, pwb and pwb.2 and in 3bsd 4bsd
79.\" The first man page (or link to a man page that I can find at the
80.\" moment is 4.3...
5b2abdfb 81.Sh BUGS
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82The
83.Fn alloca
5b2abdfb 84function
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85is machine and compiler dependent;
86its use is discouraged.