Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!oddjob!gargoyle!ihnp4!occrsh!uokmax!rmtodd
From: rmtodd@uokmax.UUCP (Richard Michael Todd)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: return vs exit() [was Re: exit(main(argc,argv,env));]
Message-ID: <983@uokmax.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 87 20:47:15 GMT
References: <10875@brl-adm.ARPA> <176@fxgrp.UUCP> <1286@laidbak.UUCP> <1293@laidbak.UUCP>
Reply-To: rmtodd@uokmax.UUCP ()
Organization: University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Lines: 13

In article <1293@laidbak.UUCP> daveb@laidbak.UUCP (Dave Burton) writes:
>Have return and exit() always been equivalent?
>If so, why is there an exit() function call, since
>	the semantics are the same?
A return n from the function main() is equivalent to exit(n) on most
(but not, alas, all) implementations.  But, if in some other function you
need to suddenly exit the program (say, on discovery of some catastrophic
error condition), you need a way to exit the program then and there;
that's what you need exit() for.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Todd
USSnail:820 Annie Court,Norman OK 73069
UUCP: {allegra!cbosgd|ihnp4}!occrsh!uokmax!rmtodd