c exit
Explanation of the exit
function in C
The exit
function in C is used to terminate the program execution and return control to the operating system. It is defined in the stdlib.h
header file. When the exit
function is called, it performs the following steps:
Flushing buffered output: The
exit
function flushes any buffered output streams, ensuring that any pending data is written to the output devices.Calling registered functions: The
exit
function calls any functions that have been registered using theatexit
function. These registered functions are typically used to perform cleanup tasks before the program terminates.Closing open files: The
exit
function closes any open files that were opened during the program execution. This ensures that resources are properly released before the program terminates.Returning control to the operating system: Finally, the
exit
function returns control to the operating system and terminates the program.
Here is an example usage of the exit
function:
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
printf("Before exit\n");
exit(0);
printf("After exit\n"); // This line will not be executed
return 0;
}
In this example, the program will terminate immediately after the exit(0)
function call, and the line After exit
will not be printed.
[[SOURCE 8]]