Different kinds of main() function

[Bryan_James]

Hi! I'm currently familiar with 2 'kinds' of main() function. The first one is:

int main(); 
int main(void);
int main(int argc, char *argv[]);

I think this is the standard 'main()' in C and C++.

The second one is:

int WINAPI 
WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, 
      HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, 
      LPSTR lpCmdLine, 
      int nCmdShow)

I use this in Win32 Programming.

One day, I was trying to compile a program I found online (I forgot what program is it) and found a "t_main()" sitting on the main file. What does this main function do? Also, what are the other main function in C (and/or C++)?

Thanks in advance!

[laserlight]

I'm currently familiar with 2 'kinds' of main() function.

It might be more accurate to talk about functions meant to be defined as "the designated start of the program". After all, WinMain is unlikely to be an alias for main, so it isn't another 'kind' of main function. Note that of the three possible main functions that you outlined, the first two are equivalent, except that the second is more commonly used in C because in C++ an empty parameter list never means "unknown number of parameters", whereas in C that is its meaning for a function declaration that is not a function definition.

One day, I was trying to compile a program I found online (I forgot what program is it) and found a "t_main()" sitting on the main file. What does this main function do?

Perhaps you saw _tmain rather than t_main. A quick search of the Web brings up: main: Program Startup.

Also, what are the other main function in C (and/or C++)?

You will find out when you need to use them (i.e., there are too many possibilities to feasibly enumerate exhaustively), or perhaps even define your own if you feel an alternative is more convenient for say, handling the command line arguments.

[Salem]

t_main() is what microsoft use as an extension (much line winmain is used for GUI programs) for console programs, to facilitate compiling in either ANSI or UNICODE modes.

In unicode mode, argv arrives as an array of wide character strings.
unicode - What is the difference between _tmain() and main() in C++? - Stack Overflow