_Alloca( ) API Library Routine
Allocates a block of stack space for the calling routine.
void FAR * _Alloca(unsigned int size)
unsigned int size; /* Size of stack space to allocate in
bytes. */
Remarks
_Alloca( ) returns a pointer to the block if the block is successfully allocated, or returns zero if the block isn't allocated. _Alloca( ) automatically frees memory when the routine ends, so no corresponding release routine is necessary.
Warning
Some C compilers, such as MPW C, do not support memory allocation from the stack; calls to _Alloca() using such compilers will have unpredictable results. Instead, use local variables, or calls to _AllocHand() and _FreeHand(), in your code to reserve memory.
For more information on how to create an API library and integrate it with Visual FoxPro, see Accessing the Visual FoxPro API.
Example
The following example duplicates the action of the Visual FoxPro REPLICATE( ) function. The memory temporarily used to duplicate the character comes from _Alloca( ).
Visual FoxPro Code
SET LIBRARY TO ALLOCA
x = xREPLICATE("x", 120)
? x
? LEN(x)
C Code
#include <pro_ext.h>
void FAR allocaEx(ParamBlk FAR *parm)
{
char FAR *rep;
char c = *(char *) _HandToPtr(parm->p[0].val.ev_handle);
rep = _Alloca((int) parm->p[1].val.ev_long + 1);
_MemFill(rep, c, (int) parm->p[1].val.ev_long);
rep[parm->p[1].val.ev_long] = '\0'; // null terminate
_RetChar(rep);
}
FoxInfo myFoxInfo[] =
{
{"XREPLICATE", (FPFI) allocaEx, 2, "C,I"},
};
FoxTable _FoxTable =
{
(FoxTable FAR *) 0, sizeof(myFoxInfo)/sizeof(FoxInfo), myFoxInfo
};
See Also
Concepts
Reference
_AllocHand( ) API Library Routine
_FreeHand( ) API Library Routine