[nitrogen]

Okay. I knew variables had block-level scope. I've read some of the ISO C standard, but hadn't caught the part where variables have function-level storage. I was wondering because, years ago, I read some disassembled code that did lots of stack allocations in the middle of functions, and not just for the purpose of calling another function.

Can you point to a reference showing that variables have function-level storage? The closest I can find in the C standard draft I'm looking at is 6.2.4.6, which suggests block-level lifetimes for variables: "For such an object that does not have a variable length array type, its lifetime extends from entry into the block with which it is associated until execution of that block ends in any way."