What is external linkage and internal linkage?

I want to understand the external linkage and internal linkage and their difference.

I also want to know the meaning of


const variables internally link by default unless otherwise declared as extern.

When you write an implementation file (.cpp, .cxx, etc) your compiler generates a translation unit. This is the source file from your implementation plus all the headers you #included in it.

Internal linkage refers to everything only in scope of a translation unit.

External linkage refers to things that exist beyond a particular translation unit. In other words, accessible through the whole program, which is the combination of all translation units (or object files).

Stack Overflow Q#1358400, score: 414