Return value from a funtion

[AkashAg]

Hi, I want to know the side effects if I don't save the value returned from a function call. ex:

int foo()
{
return (10);
}

main()
{
foo();
}

Doubts: 1. Does this type of code may cause some warnings or other issues? 2. Is it an optimized approach or do I need to save the value returned by foo()? Thanks for ur help. Akash

[_Superman_]

Ideally, you should take the returned value because there is some reason for the returning it. Could be an error code that most people don't check. :) As for optimization, you will have one less instruction if you don't take the return value.

«_Superman_» I love work. It gives me something to do between weekends.

[AkashAg]

yaa, true... But if I've already checked for error conditions and all. does it matter...

[_Superman_]

It really doesn't matter. For example, I didn't know printf returned any value at all for a long time. I believe its return value is not checked 99% of the times.

«_Superman_» I love work. It gives me something to do between weekends.

[Stuart Dootson]

akashag wrote:

1. Does this type of code may cause some warnings or other issues?

Compile it and see...neither gcc nor VC++ seem to give any warnings.

akashag wrote:

2. Is it an optimized approach or do I need to save the value returned by foo()?

You don't need to save the return value...but you then have to ask yourself - why am I calling the function? Doers it have other, non-visible side-effects? Obviously, this simple case doesn't, but many functions do effect some form of global data, while class methods can obviously update object instance data.

Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p