Thread: Declaration vrs Definition

  1. #1
    Registered User
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    Declaration vrs Definition

    I just learned somthing new.
    While I thought I knew what definiton and declaration meant I was wrong about definition. I assumed that defining a variable meant initializing it with a value but
    char ch; is both a declaration and definition.
    a definition associates a type with a name
    in the above case this is a definition
    for the definition there is an entity for the name to which it refers
    for ch the entity is the appropriate amount of memory to be used as a variable

    also any declaration that specifies a value is a definition (from this I assumed that if it doesn't it is not a definition)

    (Strostrup, "C++ Programming Language")

  2. #2
    Code Goddess Prelude's Avatar
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    A declaration simply states that a name exists and what its type is. A definition sets aside memory, connects that memory to the name, and possibly even initializes the memory with a value. A definition is a declaration, but a declaration might not be a definition. You can avoid any sticky rules by following two simple guidelines:

    * An object declaration preceded by extern is not a definition.
    * A function without a body is not a definition.
    * Everything else is a definition and can only appear once.
    My best code is written with the delete key.

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