Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.lang.c > #57041

Re: what is data type 'int *' ?

Show all headers | View raw

glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> writes:
> Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> wrote:
> (snip on the return type and value of main)
>
>> The change you're thinking of was made by C99.
>  
>> Prior to C99, falling off the end of main returned an "undefined" result
>> to the environment.  This wasn't forbidden, and might not cause any real
>> problems as long as you didn't do anything that depends on the program's
>> exit status.
>
> Seems like I remember some figuring out that the return value was
> the value of the last expression, which would be left in the
> appropriate register. 

That may well be true for some implementations.  It's not tre in
general.

>> In C99 and later, reaching the closing } is equivalent to `return 0;`.
>> (I'm not convinced that adding this special case was a good idea.)
>
> If something is done often enough, it seems that special case is
> convenient and not confusing.

There's a case to be made for that; I don't feel very strongly about it
one way or the other.

> Though I could wonder why not have all functions that fall off the
> end return zero?

Not all functions return a type for which "zero" is meaningful.

> Early (version -1) of Mathematica required [] on Quit, like all
> other function references. After I complained about this, it was
> made a special case. I think it was worth changing, though less
> consistent.

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Working, but not speaking, for JetHead Development, Inc.
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

Back to comp.lang.c | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

what is data type 'int  *' ? bilsch <king621@comcast.net> - 2015-02-04 23:45 +0000
  Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-02-05 00:09 +0000
    Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-02-05 01:24 +0000
      Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-02-05 07:00 -0500
        Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-02-05 14:09 +0000
          Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-02-05 13:08 -0600
            Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-02-06 00:33 +0000
              Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-02-05 19:30 -0600
                Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-02-06 10:17 +0000
                Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-02-07 13:21 -0800
  Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Lew Pitcher <lew.pitcher@digitalfreehold.ca> - 2015-02-04 19:47 -0500
    Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? bilsch <king621@comcast.net> - 2015-02-05 09:40 +0000
      Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-02-05 09:51 +0000
    Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-02-05 08:04 -0800
      Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-02-06 00:42 +0000
        Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-02-05 19:09 -0800
  Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2015-02-05 01:17 +0000
  Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-02-05 03:04 +0000
    Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-02-05 03:06 +0000
  Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-02-05 03:06 +0000
    Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-02-05 10:20 +0000
      Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-02-05 10:47 +0000
        Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-02-05 12:18 +0000
          Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-02-05 12:40 +0000
      Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-02-05 08:24 -0800
        Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-02-05 11:42 -0500
        Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-02-05 17:13 +0000
    Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-02-05 08:43 -0800
  Re: what is data type 'int  *' ? bilsch <king621@comcast.net> - 2015-02-05 09:45 +0000
  THANKS FOR THE INFO bilsch <king621@comcast.net> - 2015-02-05 09:47 +0000

csiph-web