stdlib/FreeBSD/alloca.3

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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 $
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  35 .Dd June 4, 1993
  36 .Dt ALLOCA 3
  37 .Os
  38 .Sh NAME
  39 .Nm alloca
  40 .Nd memory allocator
  41 .Sh LIBRARY
  42 .Lb libc
  43 .Sh SYNOPSIS
  44 .In stdlib.h
  45 .Ft void *
  46 .Fn alloca "size_t size"
  47 .Sh DESCRIPTION
  48 The
  49 .Fn alloca
  50 function
  51 allocates
  52 .Fa size
  53 bytes of space in the stack frame of the caller.
  54 This temporary space is automatically freed on
  55 return.
  56 .Sh RETURN VALUES
  57 The
  58 .Fn alloca
  59 function returns a pointer to the beginning of the allocated space.
  60 If the allocation failed, a
  61 .Dv NULL
  62 pointer is returned.
  63 .Sh SEE ALSO
  64 .Xr brk 2 ,
  65 .Xr calloc 3 ,
  66 .Xr getpagesize 3 ,
  67 .Xr malloc 3 ,
  68 .Xr realloc 3
  69 .Sh HISTORY
  70 The
  71 .Fn alloca
  72 function appeared in
  73 .At 32v .
  74 .\" .Bx ?? .
  75 .\" The function appeared in 32v, pwb and pwb.2 and in 3bsd 4bsd
  76 .\" The first man page (or link to a man page that I can find at the
  77 .\" moment is 4.3...
  78 .Sh BUGS
  79 The
  80 .Fn alloca
  81 function
  82 is machine and compiler dependent;
  83 its use is discouraged.