System stack: Difference between revisions

Because of its limited size, a stack may "overflow" if too many function calls are made without returning. This situation is dangerous because, if not handled properly (usually by the program stopping and freeing all of its memory), the stack could intersect and overwrite other memory from the program, other programs, or the [[operating system]]. In high-integrity systems there are usually strict design requirements on the stack size. Use of [[heap]] is usually prohibited, for the same reason.

* In [[concurrent programming]] each [[task]] has a ''stack'' of its own. Differently to the [[heap]], ''stacks'' need not to be shared between the [[task]]stasks and thus no interlocking is required;

* The language run-time environment may maintain multiple ''stacks'' for one [[task]]. For example, the arguments and the local variables of a subprogram may be allocated on a stack different from the stack used for the return. When the subprograms are allowed to return values of variable size, this prevents confusion between return values and local variables. Upon return stacks are swapped;