Exit
exit is a standard-library function that terminates normal program execution after performing required termination processing, without ordinarily unwinding active automatic objects.
Modern C, Third Edition
exit is a C standard-library function that terminates normal program execution and performs implementation-defined cleanup for the process.
- How it is used
- Terminates normal control flow from a function and communicates program success or failure to the runtime system.
- How deep it goes
- Defines termination equivalence, nonreturning behavior, status values, cleanup, and error-handling use, but not detailed handler mechanics.
- Examples
- Uses failed puts output, perror diagnostics, EXIT_FAILURE, and the exit prototype as concrete examples.
- What you can do after
- Apply it to terminate from nested control flow after diagnosing an unrecoverable library failure.
Modern C
exit is the C standard library function that terminates normal program execution after performing the standard termination processing.
- How it is used
- Uses exit to terminate normal control flow from functions other than main.
- How deep it goes
- Defines the prototype, status equivalence, nonreturning behavior, and cleanup implications, but defers implementation details.
- Examples
- Shows exit declarations, main status handling, and an atexit cleanup handler that reports termination.
- What you can do after
- Apply it to terminate execution from a nested function while communicating success or failure and preserving normal cleanup.
Related concepts
- entry pointequivalent to · An entry point is a designated starting location or interface through which a program, component, process, or interaction begins.
- destructorcontrasts with · A destructor is an operation associated with an object or value that performs cleanup when its lifetime ends.
- atexitconfigured by · atexit is a C standard-library function that registers a function to execute during normal program termination.
- quick_exitalternative to · quick_exit is a C standard-library function that terminates a program after invoking functions registered with at_quick_exit.
- functionkind of · A function is a callable program unit that performs an operation, may accept inputs, and can produce a result or side effect.
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