Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code

From	Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code
Date	2011-11-05 03:52 +0000
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<20111104235231.246@kylheku.com> (permalink)
References	(6 earlier) <slrnjb0r2v.ng2.usenet-nospam@guild.seebs.net> <b6092b26-a52e-4424-8c32-d82e3d48b683@f29g2000yqa.googlegroups.com> <28ed3a50-7f6d-4f15-a12f-391935385e6e@a12g2000vbz.googlegroups.com> <4EB46409.2090004@verizon.net> <4e063ab2-38c5-4d82-89dc-6ae8b063f0de@r2g2000vbj.googlegroups.com>

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On 2011-11-05, ImpalerCore <jadill33@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Nov 4, 6:15 pm, James Kuyper <jameskuy...@verizon.net> wrote:
>> On 11/04/2011 05:21 PM, ImpalerCore wrote:
>> ...
>>
>> > I'm curious about the whole 'int' return type placed on 'main' as
>> > well.  The only idea that I can come up with is that since Ritchie
>> > designed C to support the Unix operating system, and the Unix
>> > operating system wanted to implement pipes for inter-program
>> > communication, 'int main(...)' became the de-facto standard to use the
>> > return value in that sense.
>>
>> AFAIK, the exit status from a program is used in Unix-like systems only
>> for communication between child processes and their parents, pipes need
>> not be involved, and usually aren't. In my personal experience, a shell
>> (sh, csh, tcsh, bsh, etc.) and make are the most common parent
>> processes. I'm not aware of any special connection between the exit
>> status and the use of pipes. Therefore, I find it odd that you might
>> consider pipes to have been the prime motivation for exit statuses.
>> Could you explain that idea in a little more detail?
>
> Yes, you're correct.  I just used "pipes" in the sense of "one program
> communicating with another".  It was phrased poorly.  Is there a
> better term?
>
>> Keep in mind that in C as it was originally designed, there was no
>> 'void'. Functions declared with no return type were implicitly treated
>> as if they had a return type of 'int'.
>
> Yeah, I seem to keep forgetting that.
>
>> There were functions which didn't
>> bother setting the return value, and function calls which didn't bother
>> checking the return value, but there was no such thing as functions that
>> were declared as not returning a value. In such an environment, it would
>> be natural for main() to return an int, even if there was no particular
>> need to; and there was certainly a need for some mechanism whereby a
>> child process could report simple status information to its parent.
>
> Agreed.
>
>> > ...  What's interesting is that there are
>> > other scenarios where returning a value from 'main' makes little to no
>> > sense, like in embedded systems designed to run a single stand-alone
>> > application "forever", with no opportunity for inter-process
>> > communication, and yet 'void main(...)' is ridiculed even though it
>> > seems to have a logical place in some application design domains.
>>
>> I wouldn't ridicule void main(); the only thing I've ever done is point
>> out that it's not supported by the standard. If it were added to the
>> list of permitted signatures for main(), I'd have no objection.
>
> I feel that after writing a bunch of test programs for library API
> functions, it feels a little bit tedious to include the same
> boilerplate code to #include <stdlib.h> and return EXIT_SUCCESS for
> every example to try to keep everything kosher when all the example

If you're inconvenienced by producing numerous test programs which
are similar to each other, that's a situation where you can apply some
code generation techniques.

The first tool to try would be the preprocessor.

Your boilerplate can be reduced to

  #define SOME_MACROS_CONFIGURING_BOILERPLATE
  #include "boilerplate.h"

Chances are it's not just the #include <stdlib.h> and EXIT_SUCCESS
that is repeated from tst to test.

Thread

I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code zemir <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-01 08:27 -0700
  Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Mark Bluemel <mark_bluemel@pobox.com> - 2011-11-01 15:49 +0000
  Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code nroberts <roberts.noah@gmail.com> - 2011-11-01 08:52 -0700
  Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2011-11-01 16:22 +0000
  Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-11-01 09:31 -0700
    Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ike Naar <ike@sverige.freeshell.org> - 2011-11-01 16:57 +0000
      Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code zemir <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-01 11:51 -0700
        Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-01 15:04 -0400
          Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-11-01 20:21 +0000
            Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-11-01 21:41 +0100
        Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-02 08:06 +1300
          Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code zemir <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-01 13:17 -0700
            Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-01 16:24 -0400
              Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code zemir <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-01 13:27 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-01 20:24 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2011-11-02 10:24 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-02 11:04 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-02 07:41 -0400
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-02 18:00 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-02 14:06 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2011-11-03 15:05 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 22:55 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code jgk@panix.com (Joe keane) - 2012-01-26 15:59 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Fritz Wuehler <fritz@spamexpire-201201.rodent.frell.theremailer.net> - 2012-01-27 20:28 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Markus Wichmann <nullplan@gmx.net> - 2012-01-28 14:11 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-01-29 09:34 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Markus Wichmann <nullplan@gmx.net> - 2012-01-30 13:38 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-01-30 12:10 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Zoltan Kocsi <zoltan@bendor.com.au> - 2012-01-29 08:55 +1100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-31 21:48 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-31 21:46 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-01-31 22:30 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-03-08 10:11 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-08 13:51 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-03-09 12:51 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-09 13:36 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2012-03-09 23:50 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-03-09 15:01 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-09 16:21 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2012-03-10 00:57 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2012-03-10 13:37 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2012-03-10 13:58 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-03-10 12:24 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-10 14:16 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-03-11 12:50 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Philip Lantz <prl@canterey.us> - 2012-03-11 00:57 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-11 03:20 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Philip Lantz <prl@canterey.us> - 2012-03-12 02:10 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-12 10:49 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Philip Lantz <prl@canterey.us> - 2012-03-14 01:16 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Robert Miles <milesrf@Usenet-News.net> - 2012-04-15 06:53 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Nomen Nescio <nobody@dizum.com> - 2012-04-15 19:45 +0200
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Philip Lantz <prl@canterey.us> - 2012-04-15 15:06 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code 88888 Dihedral <dihedral88888@googlemail.com> - 2012-04-16 10:56 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-03 10:19 +1300
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-02 21:10 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-03 05:13 +0000
              Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code zemir <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-01 13:29 -0700
            Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-01 21:44 +0000
              Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-03 06:33 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-11-03 07:05 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-03 15:32 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-04 01:44 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-04 07:30 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2011-11-04 16:03 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-04 09:20 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2011-11-04 16:45 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-04 11:59 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2011-11-04 19:32 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-11-05 04:07 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2011-11-04 16:54 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-04 11:58 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-04 18:25 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code gordonb.e1fpi@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2011-11-04 13:50 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Pasquale Frega <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-04 11:57 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-04 14:44 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2011-11-04 14:03 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-04 21:37 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-06 12:20 +0200
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-11-04 08:32 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-04 09:04 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-11-04 10:28 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-03 18:35 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Pasquale Frega <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-03 14:50 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-03 15:59 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Pasquale Frega <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-04 12:00 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-04 20:58 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-04 21:13 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-04 01:56 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Pasquale Frega <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-04 12:12 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-05 10:09 +1300
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-03 15:32 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-03 22:53 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-03 17:57 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-03 21:35 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-04 03:31 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-04 02:25 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Kulin Remailer <remailer@reece.net.au> - 2011-11-03 22:47 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Bill Reid <hormelfree@gmail.com> - 2011-11-03 16:14 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-03 21:55 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-11-04 08:10 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code ImpalerCore <jadill33@gmail.com> - 2011-11-04 14:21 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-04 16:31 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-05 10:41 +1300
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-04 21:38 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-04 22:18 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Lew Pitcher <lpitcher@teksavvy.com> - 2011-11-05 11:11 -0400
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Lew Pitcher <lpitcher@teksavvy.com> - 2011-11-05 11:13 -0400
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-05 23:35 -0500
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-06 07:40 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-04 18:15 -0400
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code ImpalerCore <jadill33@gmail.com> - 2011-11-04 20:00 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-04 23:19 -0400
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code ImpalerCore <jadill33@gmail.com> - 2011-11-04 20:33 -0700
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-05 03:52 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-05 17:01 +1300
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code ImpalerCore <jadill33@gmail.com> - 2011-11-04 21:48 -0700
          Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code zemir <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-01 13:19 -0700
            Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-02 09:26 +1300
          Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code zemir <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-01 13:23 -0700
            Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-02 09:27 +1300
              Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code zemir <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-01 13:31 -0700
        Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2011-11-01 22:48 +0000
          Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 23:09 -0800
        Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code gordonb.prbii@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2011-11-01 21:24 -0500
        Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Dann Corbit <dcorbit@connx.com> - 2011-11-02 21:03 -0700
          Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ike Naar <ike@sverige.freeshell.org> - 2011-11-03 06:39 +0000
          Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2011-11-03 18:33 -0700
            Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-04 03:03 -0700
              Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-04 11:40 +0100
              Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-11-04 11:36 +0000
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-04 15:58 +0000
          Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-04 07:24 +0100
            Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-04 10:28 +0100
              Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-04 16:02 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-04 16:20 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-04 16:39 +0100
            Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-06 18:07 +0100
              Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2011-11-06 09:59 -0800
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-11-06 19:23 +0100
                Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-06 15:23 -0500
      Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code zemir <zemir_fp@libero.it> - 2011-11-01 11:52 -0700
        Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-01 23:02 +0000
  Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-02 03:53 -0700
    Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-02 08:03 -0400
      Re: I am learning C: a little problem with a simple source code Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-02 06:11 -0700

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