alloca

NAME

       alloca - memory allocator

SYNOPSIS

       #include <stdlib.h>

       void *alloca( size_t size);

DESCRIPTION

       The  alloca  function allocates size bytes of space in the
       stack frame of the caller.  This temporary space is  auto-
       matically freed on return.

RETURN VALUES

       The  alloca function returns a pointer to the beginning of
       the allocated space.  If the  allocation  failed,  a  NULL
       pointer is returned.

HISTORY

       There is evidence that the alloca function appears in 32v,
       pwb, pwb.2, 3bsd, and 4bsd.  There is a man page for it in
       BSD 4.3.  Linux uses the GNU version.

BUGS

       The alloca function is machine dependent.

SEE ALSO

       brk(2), pagesize(2), calloc(3), malloc(3), realloc(3)