Issue 0214: atexit function registration

This issue has been automatically converted from the original issue lists and some formatting may not have been preserved.

Authors: Clive Feather (UK)
Date: 2000-04-04
Submitted against: C99
Status: Closed
Converted from: summary-c99.htm, dr_214.htm

Summary

7.20.4.2 reads:

[#3] The implementation shall support the registration of at least 32 functions.

This does not require registration of a valid function to succeed. The implementation could fail the first 420 times atexit() is called, and then succeed 32 times. It also does not require atexit() to accept any function of the correct type; theoretically an implementation could reject (say) a function in a different translation unit.

Suggested Technical Corrigendum

Change the cited wording to:

[#3] The implementation shall not reject the registration of a valid function if less than 32 functions are already registered (multiple registrations of the same function counting multiple times).

or add the following words:

If less than this number are already registered, a call with a valid argument shall succeed.

Comment from WG14 on 2001-09-18:

Committee Response

There are many conditions under which any library function or language feature may fail or behave in an undefined manner. Some examples:

• All of memory has been allocated
• The stack has overflowed

As such, it is a quality of implementation issue under what conditions any library function, including atexit(), may fail.

There is no consensus to make the suggested change or any change along this line.