some people like void main()

I was at the local Dymocks bookstore the other day looking for my next C++ book when I came across a book by SAMS (i forgot the name) that teaches Visual C++. I had a quick flick through it and was amazed to see that all applicable examples had used void main() instead of int main(). I know ultimately its not a big deal in terms of functionality but Im trying to find out is there something I missed here? I mean, if the author is good enough to write a book that supposedly teaches C++ then you'd think he'd be familiar with standard C++ 'etiquette'.

Or again I emphasize I may be missing something... (which i usually do) :)

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Originally posted by Panopticon
I was at the local Dymocks bookstore the other day looking for my next C++ book when I came across a book by SAMS (i forgot the name) that teaches Visual C++. I had a quick flick through it and was amazed to see that all applicable examples had used void main() instead of int main(). I know ultimately its not a big deal in terms of functionality but Im trying to find out is there something I missed here? I mean, if the author is good enough to write a book that supposedly teaches C++ then you'd think he'd be familiar with standard C++ 'etiquette'.

Or again I emphasize I may be missing something... (which i usually do) :)

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It's not just etiquette, it's literally wrong. Does that mean that the whole book is bad? Not necissarily, but it just goes to show you that even though someone may write a book on a particular topic, it doesn't automatically make them an expert.

sometimes, not sure if it is the case with this book, but some books i have seen start with void main and then, later in the book, say this is wrong, and it should be int main.

Interesting... thanx for shedding light on the subject

Panopticon, I'd suggest finding yourself a book that specifically states that it complies with the ISO draft standard.

Oh, and in response to your title, some people like murder too, but that doesn't make it right;)

Can I write "void main()"?

The definition
void main() { /* ... */ }

is not and never has been C++, nor has it even been C. See the ISO C++ standard 3.6.1[2] or the ISO C standard 5.1.2.2.1. A conforming implementation accepts
int main() { /* ... */ }

and
int main(int argc, char* argv[]) { /* ... */ }

A conforming implementation may provide more versions of main(), but they must all have return type int. The int returned by main() is a way for a program to return a value to "the system" that invokes it. On systems that doesn't provide such a facility the return value is ignored, but that doesn't make "void main()" legal C++ or legal C. Even if your compiler accepts "void main()" avoid it, or risk being considered ignorant by C and C++ programmers.

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Now we can bury this question :)
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We can bury it until it comes up again one or two weeks from now, at which time, someone will rexplain why it is bad, instead of linking to the hold discussion and being done with it.

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Originally posted by SilentStrike
We can bury it until it comes up again one or two weeks from now, at which time, someone will rexplain why it is bad, instead of linking to the hold discussion and being done with it.

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I just tell newbies not to argue about void main; otherwise, they will incur the wrath of other programmers on this board.

And that's the umpteenth time I've seen that Stroustroup quote:rolleyes:

with the standards quote...i don't think that panopticon needed to see that, he was just referring to the idea that an author of a c++ book would use something like void main(), and I believe polymorphic said it best with being an author of a book does not necessarily make that person an expert on the subject.

void main is already discussed too much. Search if you want to know more.