Can local variables and functions have the same names in C?

Question

Suppose I have a single .c file in which I have a local variable a. Can I also have a function in that c file which has t

Answer 1

You can declare local variables with the same name as a global variable, but the local variable will shadow the global. As long as your local a is in scope, the symbol a refers to your local variable.

Some languages allow to refer to the global symbols via special syntax, such as ::a or .a. C is not one of these languages.

(As a side note: You shouldn't give global functions names that are likely to interfere with locals. Names of locals are usually short and don't carry much information - it is not needed, bacause the context is clear. Global variables have to share one big namespace with other variables. It is recommended to provide a bit of context in your name in order to avoid name clashes and shadowing.)