stdcall and cdecl: Call Conventions and Stack Cleanup

stdcall and cdecl are two common calling conventions used in programming languages. Developers often have questions about their functionality and compatibility.

1. Stack Cleanup Responsibility

When a cdecl function is called, the caller is responsible for cleaning up the stack after the function returns. This is because the cdecl calling convention specifies that the callee (the called function) does not clean up the stack. The compiler generates code accordingly, knowing the calling convention of the function.

2. Mismatched Calling Conventions

It is generally not a problem for a function with one calling convention to call a function with another calling convention. For instance, a stdcall function can call a cdecl function, and vice versa. However, it's important to ensure that the compiler doesn't issue any errors related to mismatched calling conventions.

3. Performance Considerations

There is typically no significant performance difference between stdcall and cdecl calling conventions. The compiler efficiently generates code for stack cleanup and parameter passing depending on the calling convention.