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From: jac@ssibbs.UUCP (James Crotinger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Any good makes out there?
Summary: main is int, isint it?
Message-ID: <100@ssibbs.UUCP>
Date: 26 Feb 89 02:22:06 GMT
References: <8902100715.AA16566@postgres.Berkeley.EDU> <5963@cbmvax.UUCP>
Organization: Sangho's Public Access Unix, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 35

In article <5963@cbmvax.UUCP>, jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup) writes:
> 
> 	That habit is the ANSI standard.  main() is void.
> 

   I've seen three books which clearly state that main() returns type int.
K&R v2.0 has numerous examples which "return" from main, and state on
p. 26 that "Since main is a function like any other, it may return a value
to its caller, which is in effect the environment in which the program
was executed. Typically, a return value of zero implies normal termination;
non-zero values signal unusual or erroneous termination conditions."

  Jaeschke, in "Portability and the C Language" states that "The method 
used to invoke main during program startup can vary. ANSI C requires that
it be done as if the following code were used:

    exit(main(argc,argv)) ;

in which case, any value returned explicitly or implicitly from main will
be passed on as the program's exit code." (p. 25)

  Similarly, Harbison & Steel, 2nd Ed. state that main() should return
type int.

  It seems to me that Lattice is in error on this point.

> -- 
> Randell Jesup, Commodore Engineering {uunet|rutgers|allegra}!cbmvax!jesup

  Jim

-- 
                                        
                               Jim Crotinger
                               crotinger%mit.mfenet@nmfecc.arpa