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Static variables
A second important storage class specifier is static. Normally,
when you call a function, all its local variables are reinitialized each
time the function is called. This means that their values change between
function calls. Static variables, however, maintain their value between
function calls.
Every global variable is defined as static
automatically. (Roughly speaking, functions anywhere in a program can
refer to a global variable; in contrast, a function can only refer to a
local variable that is "nearby", where "nearby" is defined in a
specific manner. See Scope, for more information on global
variables. See Expressions and operators, for an example of a static
local variable.)