Stack
Michael,
Quite correct…the stack and the heap are not the same, and I
didn't say they were. I said you could create your own private stack and
use it as you will…and I said that private stack was normally called a
heap.
I suppose based on dictionary definition, you're correct. 'Heap'
is the available system memory that can be allocated to a program.
However, I've been taught, and use it to refer to a local pool of memory,
already allocated to your program for "generic" use…such as a private
stack like structure or array that can be used for whatever the programmer
wants. For example, I once wrote a language parser, and used (what I call)
a heap to keep track of nested if/else/endif calls.
Don