Declarations and Definitions in C

 

Please Note: This post is focusing on pre-C99. The reason being is that it is aimed at the embedded C programmer who tends to be working with pre-C99 based cross-compilers. Also I have split it into two as it became my larger, due to feedback, than first anticipated.

On the surface declarations and definitions in C are pretty straight-forward; but once we start introducing the concepts of scope, storage-duration, linkage and namespace life is not so simple.

Let’s start with a general rule for variables:
  1. if the statement has an “=” it’s a definition?
  2. otherwise, if it has “extern” and no “=” it’s a declaration?
  3. otherwise it’s a tentative-definition that may become a declaration or a actual-definition

Object Definitions

 

Simply put, a definition allocates storage (memory) e.g.
int ev = 20; /* definition – reserves enough memory to hold an int */
Let’s assume from here-on that an int occupies 32-bits.

 

Object Declaration

 

A declaration gives meaning to an identifier; that is, it defines the type information of the identifier. This allows the compiler to generate correct object code to access the variable based its size (i.e. the number of bytes to read or write).

 

Usage

 

When compiling a source file, a variable must be declared before it is used or it will result in a compiler error.

int main(void)
{
   ev = 10; /* fails to compile as ev has not been declared */
   return 0;
}
int ev = 20; /* definition – allocates 32-bits */
Importantly, an object declaration does not reserve memory. e.g.
extern int ev; /* declaration – no memory reserved but defines sizeof(ev) */
int main(void)
{
   ev = 10; /* okay to use ev as declared, knows to read (say) 32-bits; k = 20 */
   return 0;
}
 int ev = 20; /* definition – memory reserved here and initialised */
Key point 1:
If no declaration is encountered before the definition, then the definition acts as an implicit declaration.
int ev = 20; /* definition and implicit-declaration: reserves memory */
int main(void) 
{
   ev = 10; /* okay to use ev as declared (implicitly) */ 
   return 0; 
}
Key point 2:
In a compiled source file there may be only one definition for an identifier, but there may be multiple declarations (as long as they agree).
extern int ev; /* 1st declaration */
extern int ev; /* 2nd declaration */

 

int main(void) { ev = 10; /* okay to use ev as declared */ return 0; } int ev = 20; /* definition */
In the examples so far, all definitions have included an initialisation and all declarations have used the “extern” keyword. But there is one further concept we need to examine and that is the concept of a tentative definition (this only applies to variables defined outside of functions – more on that later). Take, for example, the following program snippet:

int ev = 20; /* actual definition    */
int td;      /* tentative definition */
int main(void) { ... return 0; }
With a tentative definition, the following rule applies:

If an actual definition is found later in the source file, then the tentative definition just acts as a declaration. If the end of the source file is reached and no actual definition is found, then the tentative definition acts as an actual definition (and implicit declaration) with an initialisation of 0 (zero).

int ev; /* tentative definition becomes declaration */
int td; /* tentative definition become actual definition initialised to 0 */
int main(void)
{
   ...
   return 0;
}

int ev = 20; /* actual definition */
I’d like to address two more syntactical items before we move on. First, It is perfectly legal to write:
 extern int ev = 20; /* actual-definition */
  

I’m sure someone can (and will) tell me why this is useful, but in my 25 years of doing C I’ve never had need to use it. I my view anyone found doing this should be made to sit in the corner wearing a hat with a big ‘D’ on it!Feabhas - Declarations and Definitions in C

Second, it is highly unusual (so unusual that I’ve never seen it used), but the following is also legal syntax:
 extern int(ev);
 int(ev);
 int(ev) = 20;
Before we start looking at such items as scope and linkage let’s address function declarations and definitions.

Functions

Function declarations and definitions are in many ways simpler than variables. A function definition includes the function’s body. e.g.

void f(int p) /* definition and implicit-declaration */
{
   ...
}

int main(void)
{
   f(10); /* okay to call f as declared */
   return 0;
}

A function’s declaration (typically called its prototype) makes the compiler aware there is a valid function with this identifier. e.g.

void f(int p); /* declaration */

int main(void)
{
   f(10); /* okay to call f as declared */
   return 0;
}

void f(int p) /* definition */
{
   // ...
}
On the call to the function “f” in main, the declaration enables the compiler to construct the correct call frame based on three things:
  1. the validity of the identifier
  2. the storage required to pass any parameters (by stack or register)
  3. the storage required for any return information
At the call, the names of function parameters, if any, are irrelevant (to the compiler), so can be omitted from the declaration, e.g. void f(int); /* declaration */
Also it is not illegal to have parameter names that differ from the declaration and the definition (but obviously very bad practice).

Before we move on, there are two problem areas we need to cover. First, let’s look at the following snippet:

int main()
{
   f(20); /* call f with no declaration */
   return 0;
}

void f(int i) /* definition and implicit-declaration */
{
   // ...
}

Here we are trying to call a function that hasn’t been declared. As probably expected, this code fails to compile, but not for the reason you probably assume. Earlier I stated that an identifier must be declared before being used otherwise you get a compiler error. Unfortunately this only applies to variables and not functions!

With functions, if no declaration is found before its first call, the compiler creates an implicit declaration. As it cannot determine the return type, then it assumes an int return type. So for the call
f(20);
the complier assumes a declaration of
int f();
The compiler error will actually occur at the definition of function “f” due to the implicit-declaration and definition not agreeing (as the definition is void f()). The parts being compared are officially called the function designator. As the two designators don’t match the compiler will generate an error of the form:

error: ‘f’ : redefinition; different basic types

If we change f’s return type to int, then this code will compile quite happily.

int main(void)
{
   f(20); /* call f implicit-designator of int f() */
   return 0;
}

int f(int i) /* definition’s designator matches implicit-designator */
{
   // ...
}
Why int as the return type? This is historical baggage. In the original specification of C by Kernighan & Ritche it states, regarding function return types:
If the return type is omitted, int is assumed.

This baggage is still evident today, as the following code should compile successfully:


int main()
{
   f(20); /* call f implicit-designator of int f() */
   return 0;
}

f(int i) /* definition’s designator has implicit return type of int */
{
   // ...
}
Horrible? Yes (and it’s going to get worse) but all it not lost – any modern compiler worth its salt will issue a warning similar to:

warning: 'f' undefined; assuming extern returning int

Never ignore this warning. Some compilers (such as IAR) allow a non-standard extension requiring function prototypes. Note that C++ also requires prototypes, thus closing this loophole.

Can it get worse? Oh yes, much worse.

There is a very common mistake that C programmers assume that an empty parameter list means the same as void in the parameter list. Unfortunately, in some cases it does and in others it doesn’t.

With a function definition, then empty parameter list is the same as void.

void f()       /* definition and implicit-decln of void f(void) */
{
   // ...
}

int main()
{
   f(20);       /* error as call doesn’t match decln */
   return 0;
}
However (and here it comes) for declarations this isn’t the case.
void f();      /* declaration */
void f(void);  /* prototype-declaration – not the same as above */
If a declaration has a parameter list (including void) then it becomes a prototype-declaration. The empty list in a function declarator specifies that no information about the number or types of the parameters is supplied. This has a horrible implication; take for example the following code:

void f(); /* declaration */

 

int main(void)

 

{

 

f(20); /* okay to call f as declared */

 

return 0;

 

}

 

void f(int i) /* definition */

 

{

 

// ...

 

}
This is perfectly legal C code, which will compile and run quite happily. The standard states that the number and types of arguments are not compared with those of the parameters in a function definition that does not include a function prototype (I know, I know, but please don’t shoot the messenger). Simply put, if there is an empty parameter list the compiler assumes that arguments to the call are correct, e.g.

void f(); /* declaration */

 

int main(void)

 

{

 

f(20); /* okay to call f as declared!!! */

 

return 0;

 

}

 

void f(void) /* definition */

 

{

 

// ...

 

}
So what happens above? Well the standard states that if the number of arguments does not agree with the number of parameters, the behaviour is undefined. In many cases with embedded systems, this actually won’t cause a major problem. Many modern microcontroller architectures (e.g. ARM) arguments are passed in registers. Only once the compiler starts using the stack to pass arguments will problems ensue.

Guideline: For all function always supply a function-prototype.

So hopefully that lays the groundwork of declarations and definitions we can now start addressing the concepts of scope, storage-duration, linkage and namespace.

Afternote:


void f()      /* definition and implicit-decln of void f(void) */
{
   // ...
}

int main(void)
{
   f(20);       /* error a call doesn’t match decln */
   return 0;
}
Microsoft compiler bug – this code should fail to compile. Microsoft compiles, whereas both IAR and Keil fail.
Niall Cooling
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Website | + posts

Co-Founder and Director of Feabhas since 1995.
Niall has been designing and programming embedded systems for over 30 years. He has worked in different sectors, including aerospace, telecomms, government and banking.
His current interest lie in IoT Security and Agile for Embedded Systems.

About Niall Cooling

Co-Founder and Director of Feabhas since 1995. Niall has been designing and programming embedded systems for over 30 years. He has worked in different sectors, including aerospace, telecomms, government and banking. His current interest lie in IoT Security and Agile for Embedded Systems.
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3 Responses to Declarations and Definitions in C

  1. hamidsattar says:

    Thanks. This is very helpful.

    I'm forwarding your posts to my colleagues who teach courses in embedded systems. Please keep up the good work!

    Like (0)
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  2. rippel says:

    [quote]
    Microsoft compiler bug – this code should fail to compile. Microsoft compiles, whereas both IAR and Keil fail.
    [/quote/

    gcc compiles it as well on Linux.
    To make it fail, you should have

    [code]
    void f(void arg)
    {
    //...
    }
    [/code]

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  3. Pingback: Sticky Bits » Blog Archive » Scope and Lifetime of Variables in C

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