Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!ccwf.cc.utexas.edu!albert
From: albert@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Albert Wu)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Exit vs. return in main() using ATT CC
Message-ID: <40156@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 26 Nov 90 02:47:08 GMT
Sender: news@ut-emx.uucp
Reply-To: albert@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Albert Wu)
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin
Lines: 30
Originator: albert@minnie.cc.utexas.edu

Dear all:

I use ATT CC 2.0.  I have a question about using return vs. exit() in the
main function.  I found that the destructor is not called automatically
when I use exit, but it is called if I use return.  For example, in the
following case:

#include <stream.h>

class Junk
{
 public:
  Junk(){ cout << "Constructor called.\n";}
  ~Junk() { cout << "Destructor called.\n"; }
};

main()
{
  Junk idol;
  exit(1);
  return 1;
}

the destructor is not called.  However, if I eliminate the exit(1); line,
the destructor will be called.  Did I do something wrong here ?  Is this
the way it should be ?  Where can I pinpoint documentation about this
issue ( difference between exit and return ) ?  Pls reply using email
also because I don't read the newsgroup regularly.  Thanks ahead.

-- Albert Wu.