abort may return (was: Re: Checking Exit Codes)

[Sean Fagan]

In article <18665 at rpp386.cactus.org> jfh at rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) writes:
>i checked my 1988 X3J11 draft and it was silent - 

Section 4.2.1.1

	#include <assert.h>
	void assert(int expression);
	The assert macro puts diagnostics into programs. [...]
	It then calls the abort function.

Section 4.10.4.1

	#include <stdlib.h>
	void abort(void);
	The abort function causes abnormal program termination to occur,
	unless the signal SIGABRT is being caught and the signal handler
	does not return.

December 7 1988 X3J11.

Seems to say quite a bit on it.  First of all, you cannot check the return
value of assert() or abort(), since both are void's.  Second, even if you 
catch or ignore SIGABRT, the implementation is required to exit, still (it
seems).  (In that respect, SCO's is wrong, I just found out...)

>% uname -s
>XENIX

Repeat after me, john.  SCO also sells UNIX.  Repeat it a hundred times.
Since that's what I'd been working on for about 1.5 years, that's what I was
talking about.

>a conforming implementation might be
>	kill (getpid (), SIGABRT);

Nope.  raise(SIGABRT).

It's still possible to get it to fail:  a function set up via atexit() could
simply longjmp back to main (*shudder*!).

Followup's to c.l.c, ok?

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Sean Eric Fagan  | "*Never* knock on Death's door:  ring the bell and 
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