is a const string in a function created on the heap?

[kroiz]

Hi,

const char* f(Type t)
{
    if(t==TYPE0)
        return "type zero";
    if(t==TYPE1)
        return "type one";
    return "no valid type"
}

...
const char* v=f(TYPE0);
...

can I do that? will v have a valid string in it or just junk.
are the strings in function f are created on the stack or the heap?

[MacGyver]

Well, why not try it yourself?

#include <stdio.h>

#define TYPE0 0
#define TYPE1 1

typedef int Type;

const char* f(Type t);

const char* f(Type t)
{
    if(t==TYPE0)
        return "type zero";
    if(t==TYPE1)
        return "type one";
    return "no valid type";
}

const char* v=f(TYPE0);

int main(void)
{
	printf("v = <%s>\n",v);
	return 0;
}

Produces:

19: error: initializer element is not constant

Let's move where we declare v:

#include <stdio.h>

#define TYPE0 0
#define TYPE1 1

typedef int Type;

const char* f(Type t);

const char* f(Type t)
{
    if(t==TYPE0)
        return "type zero";
    if(t==TYPE1)
        return "type one";
    return "no valid type";
}

int main(void)
{
	const char* v=f(TYPE0);
	
	printf("v = <%s>\n",v);
	return 0;
}

Output:

v = <type zero>

Perfect.

As to where string literals are created, they are generally created in read-only memory (although this cannot be guarenteed and therefore read-only memory should be assumed). In segments, this might be the .data segment.

[kroiz]

I did tried it myself and it worked but I was not sure that it is just the compiler trying to be nice to me and that it would work on other platforms.
would it?

BTW thanks for the elaborated lightning quick respond.

[MacGyver]

The second version of the program I posted above should work on a variety of platforms, since it's compliant with both C89/C90 and C99.

[kroiz]

The second version of the program I posted above should work on a variety of platforms, since it's compliant with both C89/C90 and C99.

Thanks that is what I wanted to know. (-: