Problems with basics..

[iCoder]

hi All,
This is my first post.. I am trying to understand how #include
works... I wrote a simple multi file project like this in C::B.
///// MyFunc.h ///////////

#ifndef MYFUNC_H_INCLUDED
#define MYFUNC_H_INCLUDED

int Val;
void PrintVal();

#endif // MYFUNC_H_INCLUDED
////////////// MyFunc.c ///////////////
#include <stdio.h>

#include "myfunc.h"

void PrintVal()
{
printf("%d",Val);
}

/////////////////// main.c //////////////////
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

#include "myfunc.h"

int main()
{
Val = 30;
PrintVal();
return 0;
}

I "think" #include "xyz.pqr" dumbly replaces the line with contents of
file xyz.pqr.. Then it compiles and links.
With this "assumption" there should be a 'int Val' local to both
MyFunc.c and main.c. So whatever modifications i do for 'Val' should
not be reflected in MyFunc.c and PrintVal should print garbage. To my
surprise it prints the value of 'Val' with exact value i have
modified.
Also tell me how "extern" works exactly.. For me, in the above
program, i should declare void PrintVal() as extern i suppose so that
main.c understands it properly.
Thanks in advance.

[Joachim Schmitz]

"iCoder" <iF****@gmail.comschrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:11**********************@d57g2000hsg.googlegr oups.com...

hi All,
This is my first post.. I am trying to understand how #include
works... I wrote a simple multi file project like this in C::B.
///// MyFunc.h ///////////

#ifndef MYFUNC_H_INCLUDED
#define MYFUNC_H_INCLUDED

int Val;
void PrintVal();

#endif // MYFUNC_H_INCLUDED
////////////// MyFunc.c ///////////////
#include <stdio.h>

#include "myfunc.h"

void PrintVal()
{
printf("%d",Val);
}

/////////////////// main.c //////////////////
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

#include "myfunc.h"

int main()
{
Val = 30;
PrintVal();
return 0;
}

I "think" #include "xyz.pqr" dumbly replaces the line with contents of
file xyz.pqr.. Then it compiles and links.
With this "assumption" there should be a 'int Val' local to both
MyFunc.c and main.c. So whatever modifications i do for 'Val' should

No, you should have ended up with 2 global ints called Val and your Linker
should have warned about it.

not be reflected in MyFunc.c and PrintVal should print garbage. To my
surprise it prints the value of 'Val' with exact value i have
modified.
Also tell me how "extern" works exactly.. For me, in the above
program, i should declare void PrintVal() as extern i suppose so that
main.c understands it properly.

extern in Val; in the header
int Val; in either of the the c files but not in both.

You should never ever define a variable in a header, only declare it there
using that extern specifier (telling the compiler: "there is an int called
Val somewhere, trust me") and make sure it is defined exaclty once in some c
file. If it is not defined, the linker will complain, if it is defined more
than once the linker may warn.

Bye, Jojo

[Flash Gordon]

Joachim Schmitz wrote, On 24/03/07 14:04:

"iCoder" <iF****@gmail.comschrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:11**********************@d57g2000hsg.googlegr oups.com...

>hi All,
This is my first post.. I am trying to understand how #include
works... I wrote a simple multi file project like this in C::B.

///// MyFunc.h ///////////

#ifndef MYFUNC_H_INCLUDED
#define MYFUNC_H_INCLUDED

int Val;
void PrintVal();

#endif // MYFUNC_H_INCLUDED

////////////// MyFunc.c ///////////////
#include <stdio.h>

#include "myfunc.h"

void PrintVal()
{
printf("%d",Val);
}

/////////////////// main.c //////////////////
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

#include "myfunc.h"

int main()
{
Val = 30;
PrintVal();
return 0;
}

I "think" #include "xyz.pqr" dumbly replaces the line with contents of
file xyz.pqr.. Then it compiles and links.
With this "assumption" there should be a 'int Val' local to both
MyFunc.c and main.c. So whatever modifications i do for 'Val' should

No, you should have ended up with 2 global ints called Val and your Linker
should have warned about it.

There is no requirement for the linker to warn about it since it is
undefined behaviour. A common extension is for the linker to merge such
objects into a single object when no initialisation is specified. Some
systems will produce an error and some can be made to produce an error,
but not all systems can be made to error on it.

>not be reflected in MyFunc.c and PrintVal should print garbage. To my
surprise it prints the value of 'Val' with exact value i have
modified.
Also tell me how "extern" works exactly.. For me, in the above
program, i should declare void PrintVal() as extern i suppose so that
main.c understands it properly.

extern in Val; in the header
int Val; in either of the the c files but not in both.

You should never ever define a variable in a header, only declare it there
using that extern specifier (telling the compiler: "there is an int called
Val somewhere, trust me") and make sure it is defined exaclty once in some c
file.

This is good advice.

If it is not defined, the linker will complain, if it is defined more
than once the linker may warn.

Note the may, there are common systems that do and common systems that
by default do not.
--
Flash Gordon