Difference between Stack and Heap Memory Allocation in Programming

In programming, memory can be allocated in two main ways: stack and heap. Here is a brief overview of the differences between stack and heap memory allocation:

Stack Memory Allocation:

• Memory is allocated on the stack at compile time.
• Memory is managed in a Last In First Out (LIFO) order.
• Stack memory is limited in size and typically small.
• Access to stack memory is faster compared to heap memory.

Heap Memory Allocation:

• Memory is allocated on the heap at runtime.
• Memory is managed in a more complex manner, allowing for dynamic allocation and deallocation.
• Heap memory is larger in size compared to stack memory.
• Access to heap memory is slower than stack memory due to the dynamic allocation process.

Understanding the differences between stack and heap memory allocation is crucial for efficient memory management in programming languages like C, C++, Java, and others.