Re: Unwinding stack past main() when it has another name

[Richard Earnshaw <rearnsha at gcc dot gnu dot org>]

On Thu, 2005-06-16 at 23:05, Daniel Jacobowitz wrote:
> On Fri, Jun 17, 2005 at 08:22:13AM -1100, Steven Johnson wrote:
> > Daniel Jacobowitz wrote:
> > >For some non-C languages we get the name of the main function from
> > >debug information, but for C it's always main()
> > > 
> > >
> > This isnt always the case for embedded targets.  There is no RULE that C 
> > programs must have a main() function.  It may be that most do by 
> > convention, but they dont have to.  In fact, main() can be a pain for 
> > small embedded targets because it wants a return value and arguments, 
> > which mean nothing for a program that isnt "launched" by a user on 
> > demand, but the C compiler detects the special function name main() and 
> > objects if it doesnt have the standard format.  Programs dont even need 
> > to have an entry point called _start.  It all depends on how you set up 
> > your link map.
> 
> In fact you're wrong: there is a rule that C programs must have a
> main() function.  It's in the language standard.

You are both right, and both wrong.  In fact the standard says that two
things are permitted.

In a hosted environment the entry point to the application shall be
'main'.  In a free-standing environment there is no constraint on the
entry point -- there may even be multiple entry points.

R.