c++: external variables

[Newsnet Customer]

Hi,

Is an external variable a variable that is defined outside of a method? or a
variable with the extern modifier prefixed to it? and what's the difference
with external and global variables?


cheers
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[Buster Copley]

Hi,

Is an external variable a variable that is defined outside of a
method? or a variable with the extern modifier prefixed to it? and
what's the difference with external and global variables?

[SNIP]

The traditional definition of an external variable is a global variable,
defined in another source (implementation) file - brought into view by using
an extern declaration.

I'm not sure. How about this: 'global' is a namespace. A variable
defined at namespace scope is available from any translation unit,
provided a declaration has been seen, and can therefore be loosely
described as a 'global variable' (unless the namespace is unnamed).
'external' is a storage class which describes any declaration at
namespace scope which is not also a definition. External declarations
are often necessary for 'global variables' because C++ has a
one-definition rule.

BTW, one really stupid question to anyone who has ever done something like
this. How do you declare an extern variable, which is in a namespace? I
never needed it yet, but this topic made me wonder. Is it this:

namespace Whatever {
extern int i;
}

?

Yes. You can put that in a header. Then 'int Whatever::i;' or 'namespace
Whatever { int i; }' in one translation unit (with or without an
initializer).