Feature: support Int return from main in compiled programs for Unix exit codes #355

New issue

Closed

opened 2026-02-26 21:55:35 +00:00 by navicore · 2 comments

navicore commented

2026-02-26 21:55:35 +00:00

(Migrated from github.com)

Background

Script mode already supports main ( -- Int ) so that exit codes work correctly with bash and other shell scripts. Compiled programs currently only support main ( -- ).

Request

Allow compiled programs to also use main ( -- Int ) to return an exit code, mirroring script mode behaviour:

: main ( -- Int )
  do-work
  0    # success
;

This would encourage good Unix etiquette — programs that exit with meaningful codes can be composed with &&, ||, $?, set -e, etc.

Proposed behaviour

main ( -- ) continues to work (exits with code 0)
main ( -- Int ) uses the return value as the process exit code
Both forms valid in both script and compiled modes

Notes

Script mode already implements this. The compiled path just needs the same treatment at the entry point.

## Background Script mode already supports `main ( -- Int )` so that exit codes work correctly with bash and other shell scripts. Compiled programs currently only support `main ( -- )`. ## Request Allow compiled programs to also use `main ( -- Int )` to return an exit code, mirroring script mode behaviour: ```seq : main ( -- Int ) do-work 0 # success ; ``` This would encourage good Unix etiquette — programs that exit with meaningful codes can be composed with `&&`, `||`, `$?`, `set -e`, etc. ## Proposed behaviour - `main ( -- )` continues to work (exits with code 0) - `main ( -- Int )` uses the return value as the process exit code - Both forms valid in both script and compiled modes ## Notes Script mode already implements this. The compiled path just needs the same treatment at the entry point.

navicore commented

2026-04-11 12:55:11 +00:00

(Migrated from github.com)

while arguably a feature request, I'm viewing this as a very bad bug to be fixed via https://github.com/navicore/patch-seq/blob/main/docs/design/MAIN_EXIT_CODE.md