Introduction

The executable file is stored in the computer's RAM in an organized manner after a C
program is created and runs the memory layout of the C program.

Diagram for memory structure of C

Segments of the Memory Layout

From the above figure, we can see that the C program consists of the following segments
in the memory layout:
 Stack
 Text/Code segment
 Initialized data segment
 Uninitialized data segment
 Heap
Let's discuss further regarding these segments of the memory layout.
1. Text Segment
A text segment contains code or simply a text containing executable instructions in an
object file or memory. In order to prevent overflowing of stack or heap, the text section is
placed below it in the memory region. Generally, this segment is sharable as only a single
copy is stored in the memory for frequently executed programs such as compilers, shells,
editors, etc. To prevent a program from unknowingly modifying its instructions, it is kept
as read-only.
2. Initialized Data Segment
It is simply called the Data segment and is a part of the virtual address space of a program
where static and global variables are initialized by a programmer. Unlike the Text
segment, values of variables might need alteration during runtime, so it is not read-only.
This segment is further divided into:
 Initialized read-only area: Values of variables can not be modified here.
 Initialized read-write area: Values of variables can be modified here.

Example
 C
#include<stdio.h>

char string[] = "Coding Ninjas Studio";

int main()

static int i = 50;

return 0;

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Explanation
The global variables here like char str[] = “Coding Ninjas Studio’ and int i=50 will be
stored in the initialized read-write area in the memory. Suppose, we create the global
variable like const char* string1 = "Coding Ninjas Studio"; the literal "Coding Ninjas
Studio" would be stored in the initialized read area, whereas the char pointer variable
would be stored in the initialized write area.
3. Uninitialized Data Segment
It is often called the “bss” segment (block started by symbol) which stores all
uninitialized local, global, and external variables. If they are not initialized, then they are
stored with zero value by default. This segment contains the object file where all the
statically allocated variables are stored.

Example
  C
#include<stdio.h>

char x; // Uninitialized global variable declared

int main()

static int x; // Uninitialized static variable declared

return 0;

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Explanation
Here, statically allocated objects are those without explicit initialization that is initialized
with zero value. In the above code, x is an uninitialized variable, so it is stored in the
uninitialized data section.
You can also read about the dynamic arrays in c, and Tribonacci Series
4. Stack
The stack frame is used when we define and call that function. The variables, as well as
the function arguments defined in that function, are stored in the stack. This type of
memory allocation is called Static memory allocation as the size of the variables is
defined in the function during compile time. Whenever a function is called, a new stack
frame is created, and hence stack plays an important role in the memory. It is commonly
used for recursive functions. It also contains a LIFO (last in first out) structure, the
program stack typically located in the higher section of memory.
5. Heap
It is used for dynamic memory allocation. It starts at the end of the bss segment and
moves upwards toward higher addresses. The functions like calloc() and malloc() allocate
memory in a heap. The dynamically allocated modules and the shared memory use heap
memory. To deallocate memory from the heap, the free() function is called.
Command-line arguments
Command-line arguments are the values which are passed to a program when it is
executed. They are specified after the name of the program on the command line. For
example, to execute a program called MYapp with two command-line arguments, use the
following command:
MYapp arg1 arg2
The arguments arg1 and arg2 would then be passed to the MYapp function. In C
programming, command-line arguments are passed to the main() function as two
variables that are argc and argv.
Examples
Here are 4 different examples of command-line arguments in C programming with their
solutions:
1. Print the name of the program
 C
#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

printf("Program name: %s\n", argv[0]);

return 0;
}

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The above code first prints the number of command-line arguments using the argc
variable. Then, it prints each of the command-line arguments using the argv variable. The
argv[0] variable stores the name of the program itself.
2. Get the user's name
 C
#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

printf("What is your name? ");

char name[100];
scanf("%s", name);

printf("Your name is: %s\n", name);

return 0;
}

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The above code first prompts the user to enter their name. Then, it uses the scanf()
function to read the user's input into the name variable. Finally, it prints the user's name
back to the console.
3. Calculate the sum of two numbers
 C
#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

FILE *fp = fopen(argv[1], "r");
if (fp == NULL) {
printf("Error opening file\n");
return 1;
}

char buffer[100];
while (fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), fp) != NULL) {
printf("%s", buffer);
}

fclose(fp);

return 0;
}

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The above code first prompts the user to enter two numbers. Then, it uses the scanf()
function to read the user's input into the num1 and num2 variables. Finally, it calculates
the sum of the two numbers and prints it back to the console.
4. Open a file and read its contents
 C
#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

FILE *fp = fopen(argv[1], "r");
if (fp == NULL) {
printf("Error opening file\n");
return 1;
}

char buffer[100];
while (fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), fp) != NULL) {
 printf("%s", buffer);
}

fclose(fp);

return 0;
}

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The code first opens the file specified by the first command-line argument. Then, it uses a
loop to read the contents of the file one line at a time. Finally, it closes the file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the memory layout of the C program consist of?
The memory layout of a C program comprises four segments: text (code), data, heap, and
stack. The text segment holds the executable code, the data segment stores global and
static variables, the heap is for dynamic memory allocation, and the stack manages
function calls and local variables.
What is memory mapping in C?
Memory mapping in C refers to the process of associating files with a range of memory,
treating them as if they were arrays. This allows direct access and manipulation of file
contents in memory, facilitating efficient I/O operations.
What is the memory layout of a process?
The memory layout of a process consists of four main areas: text (code), data, heap, and
stack. The text segment stores executable code, the data segment holds global and static
variables, the heap manages dynamically allocated memory, and the stack handles
function calls and local variables.
What are the 4 types of memory in C?
In C, memory is categorized into four types Stack (manages function calls and local
variables), Heap(handles dynamic memory allocation), Data(stores global and static
variables) and Code(contains the executable code of the program).
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed in detail the about memory layout of a C program and
its five segments which are text/code, initialized data, uninitialized data, stack, and heap
and looked at each one of them using examples. At last, discussed some of the faqs.
Do check out The Interview guide for Product Based Companies as well as some of the
Popular Interview Problems from Top companies like Amazon, Adobe, Google, etc.
on Coding Ninjas Studio.
Also check out some of the Guided Paths on topics such as Data Structure and
Algorithms, Competitive Programming, Operating Systems, Computer Networks, etc.