Do C Destructors Get Called for Global and Static Variables?

Does C Call Destructors for Global and Class Static Variables?

Contrary to some assumptions, C does indeed call destructors for both global and class-static variables. Their destruction occurs at two specific junctures:

1. Upon Returning from Main: When the main() function concludes, all global and class-static variables are destroyed. This accords with § 3.6.3 of the C 03 standard, which mandates this destruction "as a result of returning from main."
2. Upon Calling Exit: If the exit() function is employed within your program, it triggers the destruction of global and class-static variables "as a result of calling exit," as outlined in § 3.6.3.

It's noteworthy that the order of destruction for these variables mirrors the reverse order of their constructor or dynamic initialization. Furthermore, per § 9.4.2 7, static data members are initialized and destroyed identically to non-local objects.

However, it's important to note that destructors with no observable behavior may not be invoked. This is further explored in Terry Mahaffey's response to "Is a C destructor guaranteed not to be called until the end of the block?"

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