stdlib/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 alloca.h
  45 or
  46 .br
  47 .In stdlib.h
  48 .Ft void *
  49 .Fn alloca "size_t size"
  50 .Sh DESCRIPTION
  51 The
  52 .Fn alloca
  53 function
  54 allocates
  55 .Fa size
  56 bytes of space in the stack frame of the caller.
  57 This temporary space is automatically freed on
  58 return.
  59 .Sh RETURN VALUES
  60 The
  61 .Fn alloca
  62 function returns a pointer to the beginning of the allocated space.
  63 If the allocation failed, a
  64 .Dv NULL
  65 pointer 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
  72 .Sh HISTORY
  73 The
  74 .Fn alloca
  75 function appeared in
  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...
  81 .Sh BUGS
  82 The
  83 .Fn alloca
  84 function
  85 is machine and compiler dependent;
  86 its use is discouraged.