C Strings Comparison with Equal Sign

Question

I have this code:

char *name = "George"

if(name == "George")
   printf("It's George")

I thought that c strings could not be compared with == sign and I have to use strcmp. For unknown reason when I compile with gcc (version 4.7.3) this code works. I though that this was wrong because it is like comparing pointers so I searched in google and many people say that it's wrong and comparing with == can't be done. So why this comparing method works ?

Answer 1

I thought that c strings could not be compared with == sign and I have to use strcmp

Right.

I though that this was wrong because it is like comparing pointers so I searched in google and many people say that it's wrong and comparing with == can't be done

That's right too.

So why this comparing method works ?

It doesn't "work". It only appears to be working.

The reason why this happens is probably a compiler optimization: the two string literals are identical, so the compiler really generates only one instance of them, and uses that very same pointer/array whenever the string literal is referenced.