The Differences Between a Stack and a Heap

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In this post, we are going to discuss the differences Between a Stack and a Heap. So it’s great excitement having to know how these two memories are work?

What is a Stack?

In a computer, a stack is a memory block that keeps temporary variables created by a function. It’s a kind of short-term memory.

During runtime, variables are defined, stored, and initialised all throughout the stack. After the computational task is performed, the variable’s memory will be immediately removed.

The stack segment frequently contains methods, local variables, and reference variables.

So, what is a heap, exactly?

The heap is a memory structure used by programming languages to keep track of global variables. By default, all global variables are saved on the heap.

The heap can be used to dynamically allocate memory. For one thing, the heap cannot run automatically, and the CPU has little influence over it. It’s more like the free-floating zone of a memory.

stack vs heap
Stack Vs Heap

There are significant distinctions between Stack and Heap

The major distinctions between the stack and the heap are summarised in the table below:

ParameterStackHeap
Data Structures
of various types
A stack is a Linear
Data Structure.
A heap is a Data structure
that is organized in a
hierarchical manner.
ImplementationA stack can be implemented
in three ways: as a simple array,
as a dynamic memory stack or
as a Linked list stack.
Arrays and trees can be
used to implement heaps.
Limit of space sizeThe size of the stack is limited
by the operating system.
There is no restriction on the
amount of memory that
can be used.
Space ManagementThe operating system
manages space effectively,
ensuring that the memory
is never scattered.
The heap space is not being
used as well as it should be. As
blocks of memory are allocated
and then freed, memory can become
fragmented.
Memory Allocation A contiguous amount of memory
is allocated.
Memory is allocated in random order.
Main issueShortage of memory.Memory Fragmentation.
Difference Between Stack Vs Heap

I hope this essay has helped you have a better grasp of the topic. If you want to improve this article please contact us.

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Lingaraj Senapati

Hey There! I am Lingaraj Senapati, the Founder of lingarajtechhub.com My skills are Freelance, Web Developer & Designer, Corporate Trainer, Digital Marketer & Youtuber.

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