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When and How to Use return 1, return -1, and exit (1) in C Programming

1. return 1;

• Usage: This is usually used to return from the main function in a C program.

• Meaning: Returning 1 from main typically indicates an error or abnormal termination of the program.

Example

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#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // Some condition that causes an error
    if (error_condition) {
        return 1; // Indicates an error
    }

    printf("Program completed successfully.
");
    return 0; // Indicates success
}

Explanation: In the above example, if error_condition is true, the program will return 1 to indicate an error. If not, it will print a message and return 0 to indicate success.

2. return -1

• Usage: Returning -1 from the main function or other functions is a non-standard way to indicate an error. It's often used in function definitions to return a value to the caller indicating something went wrong.

• Meaning: It signals an error or an exceptional condition.

  Example

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    #include <stdio.h>
  
    int check_value(int value) {
        if (value < 0) {
            return -1; // Indicates an error
        }
        return 0; // Indicates success
    }
  
    int main() {
        int result = check_value(-5);
  
        if (result == -1) {
            printf("Error: Value is negative.
  ");
            return -1; // Indicates an error in main
        }
  
        printf("All values are valid.
  ");
        return 0; // Indicates success
    }
  

  Explanation: In this example, the function check_value returns -1 if the input value is negative. The main function also returns -1 to indicate an error if check_value returns -1.

  3. exit (1)

  • Usage: The exit function terminates the program immediately and can be called from anywhere in the code. It passes an exit status to the operating system.

  • Meaning: exit(1) indicates an error or abnormal termination, while exit(0) indicates successful completion

    Example

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      #include <stdio.h>
      #include <stdlib.h>
    
      int main() {
          // Some condition that causes an error
          if (error_condition) {
              printf("Encountered an error. Exiting...
    ");
              exit(1); // Indicates an error and terminates the program
          }
    
          printf("Program completed successfully.
    ");
          exit(0); // Indicates success and terminates the program
      }
    

    Explanation: In this example, if error_condition is true, the program prints an error message and calls exit(1) to terminate the program with an error status. If not, it prints a success message and calls exit(0) to terminate the program successfully.

Summary

• return 1: Used in the main function to indicate an error. The value 1 is passed to the operating system.

• return -1: Often used in functions to indicate an error. It's a non-standard way to return an error value to the caller.

• exit(1): Immediately terminates the program and passes an exit status to the operating system. exit(1) indicates an error, while exit(0) indicates success.

By understanding these different ways to handle errors and terminate a program, you can write more robust and predictable C code.