The extern Storage-Class Specifier

A variable declared with the extern storage-class specifier is a reference to a variable with the same name defined at the external level in any of the source files of the program. The internal extern declaration is used to make the external-level variable definition visible within the block. Unless otherwise declared at the external level, a variable declared with the extern keyword is visible only in the block in which it is declared.

Example

This example illustrates internal- and external-level declarations:

// extern_StorageClassSpecified.c
#include <stdio.h>

void other( void );

int main()
{
    // Reference to i, defined below: 
    extern int i;

    // Initial value is zero; a is visible only within main: 
    static int a;

    // b is stored in a register, if possible: 
    register int b = 0;

    // Default storage class is auto: 
    int c = 0;

    // Values printed are 1, 0, 0, 0: 
    printf_s( "%d\n%d\n%d\n%d\n", i, a, b, c );
    other();
    return;
}

int i = 1;

void other( void )
{
    // Address of global i assigned to pointer variable:
    static int *external_i = &i;

    // i is redefined; global i no longer visible: 
    int i = 16;

    // This a is visible only within the other function: 
    static int a = 2;

    a += 2;
    // Values printed are 16, 4, and 1:
    printf_s( "%d\n%d\n%d\n", i, a, *external_i );
}

In this example, the variable i is defined at the external level with initial value 1. An extern declaration in the main function is used to declare a reference to the external-level i. The static variable a is initialized to 0 by default, since the initializer is omitted. The call to printf prints the values 1, 0, 0, and 0.

In the other function, the address of the global variable i is used to initialize the static pointer variable external_i. This works because the global variable has static lifetime, meaning its address does not change during program execution. Next, the variable i is redefined as a local variable with initial value 16. This redefinition does not affect the value of the external-level i, which is hidden by the use of its name for the local variable. The value of the global i is now accessible only indirectly within this block, through the pointer external_i. Attempting to assign the address of the auto variable i to a pointer does not work, since it may be different each time the block is entered. The variable a is declared as a static variable and initialized to 2. This a does not conflict with the a in main, since static variables at the internal level are visible only within the block in which they are declared.

The variable a is increased by 2, giving 4 as the result. If the other function were called again in the same program, the initial value of a would be 4. Internal static variables keep their values when the program exits and then reenters the block in which they are declared.

See Also

Concepts

Storage-Class Specifiers for Internal-Level Declarations