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Diffstat (limited to 'admin/notes/exit-value')
| -rw-r--r-- | admin/notes/exit-value | 28 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 28 deletions
diff --git a/admin/notes/exit-value b/admin/notes/exit-value deleted file mode 100644 index 96337e4c8d..0000000000 --- a/admin/notes/exit-value +++ /dev/null @@ -1,28 +0,0 @@ -ttn 2004-05-09 - -The exit value of a program returning to the shell on unixoid systems -is typically 0 for success, and non-0 (such as 1) for failure. This is -not always the case on other systems. - -From the point of view of the program stdlib.h provides macros -`EXIT_SUCCESS' and `EXIT_FAILURE' that should DTRT. N.B. The -numerical values of these macros DO NOT need to fulfill the exit value -requirements outlined in the first paragraph! That is the job of the -`exit' function. Thus, this kind of construct shows misunderstanding: - - #ifdef WEIRD_OS - exit (1); - #else - exit (0); - #endif - -Values aside from EXIT_SUCCESS and EXIT_FAILURE are tricky, but can be -used to indicate finer gradations of failure. If this is the only -information available to the caller, clamping such values to -EXIT_FAILURE loses information. If there are other ways to indicate -the problem to the caller (such as a message to stderr) it may be ok -to clamp. In all cases, it is the relationship between the program -and its caller that must be examined. - -[Insert ZAMM quote here.] <-- I presume this refers to ``Zen and the -Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'' - Reuben Thomas <rrt@sc3d.org>. |