Problem with "time" in C programming

[A. Clay Stephenson]

localtime() would never free the data structure. If localtime() is supplied a NULL pointer then it returns the address of a static variable that is reused upon each invocation of the function. In that case, it is imperitive to copy the values to other variable before calling localtime again. If a non-NULL pointer is supplied then localtime stores the value there and it is the responsibility of the calling program to then free any dynamically allowcated memory.

[Dennis Handly]

>if you send in a non-null pointer to time()

You shouldn't do this because it causes the kernel to sweat.  Just use the return result.

>If localtime() is supplied a NULL pointer

localtime(3) would probably abort on a NULL.  Are you thinking of localtime_r?

>If a non-NULL pointer is supplied then localtime(3)

The input parm is of time_t*.