Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!uwmcsd1!ig!agate!eris!mwm
From: mwm@eris (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: exit(-1), 0 is sometimes magic
Message-ID: <6597@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 18 Jan 88 21:55:20 GMT
References: <502@cresswell.quintus.UUCP> <6935@brl-smoke.ARPA> <1179@wjvax.UUCP> <6983@brl-smoke.ARPA> <7208@ki4pv.uucp> <23160@cca.CCA.COM> <1843@bsu-cs.UUCP> <2305@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <1868@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: mwm@eris.UUCP (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer)
Organization: Missionaria Phonibalonica
Lines: 27
Keywords: exit, zero, flaming

In article <1868@bsu-cs.UUCP> dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
<I gave a number of example attempting to show that zero is inherently
<a unique integer and therefore not a "magic number" in the usual
<sense of the term.

# mount /dev/mathematicians_hat /head

Rahul, *all* numbers are unique and interesting. Even 1729. You can
even proof it, if you like. I dislike zero because there's no
primitive operate that generates a common set when applied to zero.
One and either of + or - generates a common set.

# umount /dev/mathematicians_hat
# mount /dev/programmers_hat /head

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

I don't see anything intuitive about exiting with a false value for
success. Exiting with a true value seems a lot more intuitive to me.

	<mike
--
How many times do you have to fall			Mike Meyer
While people stand there gawking?			mwm@berkeley.edu
How many times do you have to fall			ucbvax!mwm
Before you end up walking?				mwm@ucbjade.BITNET