Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!oberon!cit-vax!genghis!sns
From: sns@genghis.UUCP (Sam Southard)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: exit(-1), 0 is sometimes magic
Message-ID: <350@genghis.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jan 88 16:33:44 GMT
References: <502@cresswell.quintus.UUCP> <6935@brl-smoke.ARPA> <1179@wjvax.UUCP> <1868@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Lines: 30
Keywords: exit, zero, flaming

In article <1868@bsu-cs.UUCP>, dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
> Zero symmetrically divides the number line.  If one had to choose ONE

Let me choose one.  There are the same number of numbers greater than one as
there are less than one, so one must symmetrically divide the number line.

> of the values on the number line as being unique, it would have to be
> zero.  It is the only value that isn't arbitrary, the only one that
> doesn't have a mirror-image counterpart (of opposite sign), the only
> one that can't be a legal divisor, the only one that, in short,
> stands out as "different" from all the other values.

If we had to choose ONE of the values on the number line as being uniqe, it
would have to be one.  It is the only value that isn't arbitrary, the only
one which when multiplying or dividing another number yields the same number,
the only one whose mirror image is the square of 'i', the only one that, in
short, stands out as "different" from all the other values.

> Therefore the use of exit(0) for successful termination is not
> arbitrary.  It is intuitively correct.

Therefore the use of exit(0) for successful termination is completely
arbitrary.  Obviosly, the intuitive value is exit(1).

Rahul, *every* number has unique properties.  Those of one and zero simply
stand out more and are more significant.
-- 

Sam Southard, Jr.
{sns@genghis.caltech.edu|sns@genghis.uucp|{backbone}!cit-vax!genghis!sns}