SPL 9 | Scope of Variables in C

Structured Programming Language
Scope of a variable
Mohammad Imam Hossain,
Lecturer, CSE, UIU

Scope of a variable
A scope in any programming is a region of
the program where a defined variable can
have its existence and beyond that variable
it can’t be accessed.
Three places to declare variable:
1. inside a function or block (local
variables)
2. outside of all the functions (global
variables)
3. in the definition of function
parameters (formal parameters)

Local Variables
• Variables that are declared inside a function or block
are called local variables.
• They can be used only by statements that are inside
that function or block of code.
• Local variables are not known to functions outside
their own.

Sample Program#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
int a=10;
return 0;
}

int main()
{
int a=10;
if(1)
{
int b=a/2;
}
return 0;
}

int main()
{
int a=10;
if(1)
{
int b=a/2;
printf("%d %dn",a,b); ///10 5
}
return 0;
}

int main()
{
int a=10;
if(1)
{
int b=a/2;
printf("%d %dn",a,b); ///10 5
if(1)
{
int c=a+b;
}
}
return 0;
}

int main()
{
int a=10;
if(1)
{
int b=a/2;
printf("%d %dn",a,b); ///10 5
if(1)
{
int c=a+b;
printf("%d %d %dn",a,b,c); ///10 5 15
}
}
return 0;
}

int main()
{
int a=10;
if(1)
{
int b=a/2;
printf("%d %dn",a,b); ///10 5
if(1)
{
int c=a+b;
printf("%d %d %dn",a,b,c); ///10 5 15
b=c;
a=b*2;
}
}
return 0;
}

int main()
{
int a=10;
if(1)
{
int b=a/2;
printf("%d %dn",a,b); ///10 5
if(1)
{
int c=a+b;
printf("%d %d %dn",a,b,c); ///10 5 15
b=c;
a=b*2;
}
printf("%dn",c); ///error
printf("%d %dn",b,a); ///15 30
}
return 0;
}

int main()
{
int a=10;
if(1)
{
int b=a/2;
printf("%d %dn",a,b); ///10 5
if(1)
{
int c=a+b;
printf("%d %d %dn",a,b,c); ///10 5 15
b=c;
a=b*2;
}
printf("%dn",c); ///error
printf("%d %dn",b,a); ///15 30
}
b=a*b; ///error
printf("%d %dn",c,b); ///error
printf("%dn",a); ///30
return 0;
}

Global Variables
• Global variables are defined outside a function,
usually on top of the program.
• Global variables hold their values throughout the
lifetime of your program.
• A global variable can be accessed by any function i.e.
a global variable is available for use throughout the
entire program after its declaration.

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int g=0; ///global variable
int main()
{
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("%dn",g); ///0
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
int i;
for(i=1;i<=5;i++){
}
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
int i;
for(i=1;i<=5;i++){
int j=i;
printf("%dn",j);
g=g+j;
}
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
int i;
for(i=1;i<=5;i++){
int j=i;
printf("%dn",j);
g=g+j;
}
printf("%dn",j); ///error
printf("%d %dn",i,g); ///6 15
return 0;
}

Special Case
• A program can have same name for variables within
different scope.
• A program can have same name for local and global
variables but the value of local variable inside a
function will take preference.

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("%dn",g); ///100
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("%dn",g); ///100
int g=50;
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("%dn",g); ///100
int g=50;
if(1){
}
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("%dn",g); ///100
int g=50;
if(1){
g=10;
}
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("%dn",g); ///100
int g=50;
if(1){
g=10;
int g=20;
}
return 0;
}

Sample Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("%dn",g); ///100
int g=50;
if(1){
g=10;
int g=20;
g=5;
}
return 0;
}

Reference
• https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cprogramming/c_sc
ope_rules.htm

SPL 9 | Scope of Variables in C

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