1/0 = 1 How ?

[Dev]

int main()
{
printf("1/0 = %d",1/0);
}

I compiled this program under MinGW compiler and Borland C++ 5.5 command line compiler.

Both give warning about division by zero. But when the program is run

The one compiled by gcc breaks and the one compiled by Borland gives output as 1.

I don't understand this behavior.

[Govtcheez]

K&R says division by 0 is undefined, so the compiler can throw back whatever it wants.

[chrismiceli]

in mathematics, anything divided by zero is undefined, like a vertical line whose x intercept is (2,0), if you found its slope it would be 1/0, they call this an undefined slope.

[Dev]

My Mathematics concepts are good.

I also know that 1/0 is undefined.

But I am just curious about knowing this strange behavior.

Because if I change %d to %f then I get Division by zero error and keeping it %d gives answer of 1/0 as 1.

[Govtcheez]

Originally posted by Govtcheez
K&R says division by 0 is undefined, so the compiler can throw back whatever it wants.

edit: It's worth saying that "undefined" in this case isn't the same as "undefined" in a mathematical sense. In our case, it jsut means there's no set thing it's supposed to do. The compiler can do whatever it wants.

[SMurf]

Originally posted by Govtcheez
K&R says division by 0 is undefined, so the compiler can throw back whatever it wants.

But in the majority of cases (e.g. on Windows), I believe an exception is raised. Unhandled, it causes a crash.