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In 'comp.lang.c', (Samuel Thomas) wrote:

To answer the question of your subject line, the memory is allocated in a
implementation-dependent way.

> Could you please go through the code I wrote and help me with my
> doubts?
>
> #include <stdio.h>
> #include <conio.h>

Non standard header.

> void printnamefirst(char[]);
> void printnamesec(char[]);
>
> void main()

main returns inbt. Always. Even the old notation (pre-ANSI, aka K&R):

main()

implies a implicit return type of int. Note that 'void' is a new concept
brought with the first release of the standard C (aka ANSI-C89 or ISO-C90).

> {
> clrscr();

Non standard function.

> printnamefirst(name);
> }
>
> void printnamefirst(char nm[])
> {
> char nam[20] ="Samuej Thomas";
> printnamesec(nam);
> printf("%s \n",nam);
> }
>
> void printnamesec(char ns[])
> {
> printf("%s \n",ns);
> ns[5]='l';
>
> }
>
> 1.Is it safe to use the variables that are allocated in one function,
> in another function as I have done by printing a string in the
> printnamesec, but which has been declared in printnamefirst function?
> When does it become unsafe to use variables declared in one function
> else where?

say a() call b().

It is safe to define a variable in a() and to pass its address to b().

void a (void)
{
int x;
b(&x);
}

It is unsafe to define a variable in b() and to return its address to a():

int *b(void)
{
int x = 123;

return &x;
}

> 2.Is it possible to make 'pass by value' work with character strings
> so that they dont get changed? Do they always get passed as reference

For a string (array of char), the passed value is an address. The parameter
is a pointer of the correct type. You can use the 'const' qualifier to inform
the compiler that:

- The function will not change the original value of the string
- Constant strings (e.g. string literals) are accepted.

f (char const *s)
{
}

> values when passed across functions? Does the value of the nam
> variable declared in printnamefirst get modified because of the 'pass
> by reference' mechanism?

No, for the simple reason that there is no pass-by-reference in C.

--
-ed- [remove YOURBRA before answering me]
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