xref: /openbsd-src/lib/libc/stdlib/alloca.3 (revision b2ea75c1b17e1a9a339660e7ed45cd24946b230e)
1.\" Copyright (c) 1980, 1991 Regents of the University of California.
2.\" All rights reserved.
3.\"
4.\" Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
5.\" modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
6.\" are met:
7.\" 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
8.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
9.\" 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
10.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
11.\"    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
12.\" 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
13.\"    must display the following acknowledgement:
14.\"	This product includes software developed by the University of
15.\"	California, Berkeley and its contributors.
16.\" 4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
17.\"    may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
18.\"    without specific prior written permission.
19.\"
20.\" THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
21.\" ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
22.\" IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
23.\" ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
24.\" FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
25.\" DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
26.\" OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
27.\" HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
28.\" LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
29.\" OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
30.\" SUCH DAMAGE.
31.\"
32.\"	$OpenBSD: alloca.3,v 1.8 2000/04/20 13:50:01 aaron Exp $
33.\"
34.Dd May 2, 1991
35.Dt ALLOCA 3
36.Os
37.Sh NAME
38.Nm alloca
39.Nd memory allocator
40.Sh SYNOPSIS
41.Fd #include <stdlib.h>
42.Ft void *
43.Fn alloca "size_t size"
44.Sh DESCRIPTION
45The
46.Fn alloca
47function allocates
48.Fa size
49bytes of space in the stack frame of the caller.
50This temporary space is automatically freed on return.
51.Sh RETURN VALUES
52The
53.Fn alloca
54function returns a pointer to the beginning of the allocated space.
55.Sh SEE ALSO
56.Xr pagesize 1 ,
57.Xr brk 2 ,
58.Xr calloc 3 ,
59.Xr malloc 3 ,
60.Xr realloc 3
61.Sh BUGS
62The
63.Fn alloca
64function is machine dependent; its use is discouraged.
65.\" .Sh HISTORY
66.\" The
67.\" .Fn alloca
68.\" function appeared in
69.\" .Bx ?? .
70.\" The function appeared in 32v, pwb and pwb.2 and in 3bsd 4bsd
71.\" The first man page (or link to a man page that I can find at the
72.\" moment is 4.3...
73