c - Why does global variables in a header file cause link error?

Question

I always get the following error, even if I have put include guard in header file.

duplicate symbol _Bittorrent in:
    /Users/tracking/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/SHT-giuwkwyqonghabcqbvbwpucmavvg/Build/Intermediates/SHT.build/Debug/SHT.build/Objects-normal/x86_64/main.o
    /Users/tracking/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/SHT-giuwkwyqonghabcqbvbwpucmavvg/Build/Intermediates/SHT.build/Debug/SHT.build/Objects-normal/x86_64/Handshake.o
duplicate symbol _eight_byte in:
    /Users/tracking/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/SHT-giuwkwyqonghabcqbvbwpucmavvg/Build/Intermediates/SHT.build/Debug/SHT.build/Objects-normal/x86_64/main.o
    /Users/tracking/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/SHT-giuwkwyqonghabcqbvbwpucmavvg/Build/Intermediates/SHT.build/Debug/SHT.build/Objects-normal/x86_64/Handshake.o
ld: 2 duplicate symbols for architecture x86_64
clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)

Here are .h header file, .c file, and main.c

main.c

#include "Handshake.h"
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
    // some code.
    return 0;
}

Handshake.h

#ifndef SHT_Handshake_h
#define SHT_Handshake_h

const char    *Bittorrent     =   "BitTorrent protocol";
const char    eight_byte[8]   =   {0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 };

#endif

Handshake.c

#include "Handshake.h"


int Send_fisrt_Handshake(download_connection *pPeer, Handshake *necessary_info)
{
    //some statements
    return 1;
}

void Set_Handshake_information(TorrentFile* pArg, Handshake *pYours)
{

    //some statements

}

But, If I deleted global variables from header file, these codes compile successfully.
I don't understand why. Could someone explain why? Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Lines like

const char    *Bittorrent     =   "BitTorrent protocol";
const char    eight_byte[8]   =   {0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 };

define theses global variables no matter if that codes is in header file or ine a .c directly (#include is just textual insertion of the header's contents). Instead you should have the definitions in exaclty one source file and change the header to provide an extern declaration instead:

extern const char *Bittorrent;
extern const char *eight_byte;

Then all your sources using thes variables can be compiled but the linker will the variables once only.