8/6/2016

Whydoweusemain()inCorC++language?Quora

C(programminglanguage)
ProgrammingLanguages

C++(programminglanguage)

LearningtoProgram

ComputerProgramming

Whydoweusemain()inCorC++language?
AlsoisthereanyprograminCorC++whichcanberunsuccessfullywithoutmain()?

19Answers
ViktorT.Toth,beganhisprogrammingcareeronaCDC3300mainframeandanSR
52calculator
16.5kViewsViktorhas90+answersinComputerProgramming

WhatmakesyouthinkthattheHello,Worldprogramrunswithoutacalltothefunction
main()?
Thefunctionmain()is,infact,called.Butitisnotcalledexplicitlythecallisimplicit.
Whichmeansthatyoudonothavetowritethatcallintoyourprogram,itisdone
Searchforquestions,people,andtopics
automaticallybytheruntimeenvironment.
Inotherwords,whenyoucompileaCprogram,theactualcodegeneratedbythecompiler
beginswithapreamblethatsetsupmemory,configuresstandardinputandoutput,and
doesafewotherhousekeepingchores,followedbyacalltothemain()function,followed
bycleanupandterminationcode.

RelatedQuestions
WhywasC++chosenasthemainlanguagefor
backenddevelopmentwithinGoogle?Whyisitstill
themainlanguage?
Asof2016,isCthemainlanguagefornewWindows
kernelcodeorisC++nowused?Isassemblystill
activelyused?
Isclanguagecoachinguseful?
WhicharesomeStartupsinBangaloreworkingon
Systemsside/usingCasmainlanguage?
WhatarethemainareaswhereCisused?
WhydowestilluseCandC++languages?
WhichsoftwaregiantsuseC++astheirmain
SignIn
technology?
Whyweusevoidmain()intmain()inC?
WhatisClanguageusedfor?
WhataretheadvantagesofusingCoverC++?

Ifyouweretotrytocompileaprogramwithnomain()function,thelinkerwouldactually
complainaboutitsabsence,becauseitisreferencedintheruntimeenvironment.
WrittenSep3,2015ViewUpvotes

RelatedQuestions
MoreAnswersBelow
WhywasC++chosenasthemainlanguageforbackenddevelopmentwithinGoogle?Why
isitstillthemainlanguage?
Asof2016,isCthemainlanguagefornewWindowskernelcodeorisC++nowused?Is
assemblystillactivelyused?
Isclanguagecoachinguseful?
WhicharesomeStartupsinBangaloreworkingonSystemsside/usingCasmainlanguage?
WhatarethemainareaswhereCisused?

TribhubanJha
4.4kViewsTribhubanhas30+answersinComputerProgramming

main()isauserdefinedfunctionfromwhereexecutionofC/C++programsstart!
Now,ifuaskwhyshoulditstartwithmain(),wellithadtostartsomewhereandDennis
Ritchiesirchoseittobehere.:)
Edit:
Havealookatthisforbetterunderstandingofinsight:)RaghavYadav'sanswertoWhat
aretheC/C++programsthatcanbewrittenwithoutmain()function?
UpdatedOct21,2014ViewUpvotes

JerryCoffin,Guywhowritessomecode.
2.4kViewsJerryhas180+answersinComputerProgramming

Althoughseveralhavehintedatit,thename`main`issimplyaconventionthat'sbeen
standardized.Inahostedenvironment(basically,whereyou'rerunningonanoperating
system)theCandC++standardsrequirethatyourcodecontainafunctionnamed
`main`,andthatitbewhereexecutionstarts(sortofglobalobjectsareinitializedbefore
mainstartstoexecute,soifyouprefer,youcanstartyourexecutionfromaconstructorof
aglobalobject,andleavemainemptybutthatwouldbecounterintuitiveenoughand
unusualenoughthatit'sgenerallyabadidea).

Onastandalonesystem(onewhereyourcoderunsdirectlyonthe"baremetal",without
anoperatingsystem),there'snorequirementaboutwhattheentrypoint(ifany)isnamed.
Insomecases,thereisnorealentrypointforexample,somesystemsjusthandle
hardwareinterrupts,sotheyhaveanumberofinterrupthandlers,andwhenthere'sno

https://www.quora.com/WhydoweusemaininCorC++language

1/3

8/6/2016

Whydoweusemain()inCorC++language?Quora

interrupt,theCPUjustsleeps.

Incaseanybodycareswherethename`main`camefrom,theearliestlanguageofwhich
I'mawarethatusedthatnameforaprogram'sentrypointwasPL/I(fromaround1964).
WrittenMay19,2015ViewUpvotes

AndrewWeimholt
7.9kViewsAndrewhas30+answersinComputerProgramming

Themainisnottherealentrypoint.
Keepinmindtherearealotofthingsthathappenbeforemainiscalled.InC++,your
globalconstructorsarecalledbeforemain.EveninstraightC,therearethingsthatneedto
bedonebeforeyoucanexecute"main".
Ifyou'reusinggcc,it'sthe_startfunction(InsideC)
Here'sabetterarticleonhowthelinuxloaderstartsanexecutable"ELF"file:Linuxx86
ProgramStartUp
Notethatthefirstarticleshowsyouhowtooverride_startanddowithouthavingamain.
Searchforquestions,people,andtopics
Youcanhavea_startfunctionwhichdoesallthenormalstuffandthencallsomeother
functionasyourpseudoentrypointinsteadofmain.

SignIn

WrittenSep4,2014ViewUpvotes

XiangyuHu,Doneisbetterthanperfect.
2.1kViews

Fromcompiler'sview,main()isnothingdifferentthanotherexportedfunction,except
thatitisTHEcallbackentryofexecutableformats.Compiler'saddinstructionslike"bl
main"inthe_start()(executableentry,differsbetweendifferentplatforms)function.
WrittenSep28,2014ViewUpvotes

RelatedQuestions
WhydowestilluseCandC++languages?
WhichsoftwaregiantsuseC++astheirmaintechnology?
Whyweusevoidmain()intmain()inC?
WhatisClanguageusedfor?
WhataretheadvantagesofusingCoverC++?
HowcanIlearnOOPSConcept,UML,ObjectOrientedProgramminglanguage(mainly
C++)?
C++(programminglanguage):Whydopeoplewhocomefromaphysicsbackgroundtendto
useC++?
WhatisthemainuseanddifferencebetweenforandwhileinC/C++languages?
IsthereagoodonlinecourseaboutalgorithmsthatuseC++astheirmainprogramming
language?
InwhichcasesshouldIusePython/Node.JS/Java/Rails/CC++asthemainbackend
language?
WhydoesUnityGameEngineuseC#asthemainscriptinglanguage?
What'sthereasontouseCasthemaindevelopmentlanguageinyourprojects?
Wheremain()functiondefinedinclanguage?
C++(programminglanguage):InC++,whydoyouusereferences?
WhatlanguagedoesArduinouse?C/C++orprocessing.

TopStories
Whatisthestrangestcombination
oftwofoodsyouveevereaten?

Whatisthesmartestthingyou
haveeverdoneinexams?

MeredithAvila,certainkindsofnerd

KevinMarkWray

3.1kViews

49.7kViews

https://www.quora.com/WhydoweusemaininCorC++language

Whydidthemediaseverely
criticizeBernieSandersfor
attackingHillaryClintonbuthas
largelyignoringtherhetoric
duringtheGOPconvention?

2/3

8/6/2016

Whydoweusemain()inCorC++language?Quora

WhenIwasakidIusedtomakesandwiches
madeoftwoofthis:Andthis:Ithadavery
ReadMore
satisfyingtasteandIgreatlyenjoyedeating

ItookaconversationalGermanclassin
college.Itwasat8am.Itwasbrutal.
Fortunately,thanksto5yearsofGermanin
middleandhighschool,Iwasokayasfaras
conversationalGermangoes.Iperpetually
showedupforeveryclass510minuteslate
andhadaratherterseargumentwiththe
professorinGermanaboutmylateness.One
studenttoldmeIwasgoingtofailforsureto
ReadMore
whichIsai...

ErnestW.Adams,GameDesign
Consultant,Author,andProfessor
3.3kViewsMostViewedWriterinPolitics
oftheUnitedStatesofAmericawith1290+
answers

Theconservativemediaweresaying,"See!
See!TheDemocratsaredividedtoo!Anda
lotofthemthinkHillaryisscumtoo!"The
liberalmediaweresaying,"C'mon,Bernie,
ReadMore
keepitimpersonalanddon'tgivethe
Republicansammunition."Today,the

Sitemap # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AboutCareersPrivacyTermsContact

https://www.quora.com/WhydoweusemaininCorC++language

3/3