External variable

In the <a href="/facts/C_programming_language/e9JD2RRK">C programming language</a>, and its predecessor <a href="/facts/B_programming_language/b9n2WoNN">B</a>, an external variable is a variable defined outside any function block. On the other hand, a local (automatic) variable is a variable defined inside a function block.

<blockquote>As an alternative to automatic variables, it is possible to define variables that are external to all functions, that is, variables that can be accessed by name by any function. (This mechanism is rather like <a href="/facts/Fortran/m1KqjcMU">Fortran</a> COMMON or <a href="/facts/Pascal_(programming_language)/b3yvp8bF">Pascal</a> variables declared in the outermost block.) Because external variables are globally accessible, they can be used instead of argument lists to communicate data between functions. Furthermore, because external variables remain in existence permanently, rather than appearing and disappearing as functions are called and exited, they retain their values even after the functions that set them have returned.— <a href="/facts/The_C_Programming_Language/e9JD2RRK">The C Programming Language</a></blockquote>

External variable open-in-new

External variable