atexit.md

title	ms.custom	ms.date	ms.reviewer	ms.suite	ms.technology	ms.tgt_pltfrm	ms.topic	apiname	apilocation	apitype	f1_keywords	dev_langs	helpviewer_keywords	ms.assetid	caps.latest.revision	author	ms.author	manager
atexit | Microsoft Docs		11/04/2016			cpp-standard-libraries		article	atexit	msvcrt.dll msvcr80.dll msvcr90.dll msvcr100.dll msvcr100_clr0400.dll msvcr110.dll msvcr110_clr0400.dll msvcr120.dll msvcr120_clr0400.dll ucrtbase.dll	DLLExport	atexit	C++	processing, at exit atexit function	92c156d2-8052-4e58-96dc-00128baac6f9	12	corob-msft	corob	ghogen

atexit

Processes the specified function at exit.

Syntax

int atexit(  
   void (__cdecl *func )( void )  
);  

Parameters

func
Function to be called.

Return Value

atexit returns 0 if successful, or a nonzero value if an error occurs.

Remarks

The atexit function is passed the address of a function (func) to be called when the program terminates normally. Successive calls to atexit create a register of functions that are executed in last-in, first-out (LIFO) order. The functions passed to atexit cannot take parameters. atexit and _onexit use the heap to hold the register of functions. Thus, the number of functions that can be registered is limited only by heap memory.

The code in the atexit function should not contain any dependency on any DLL which could have already been unloaded when the atexit function is called.

To generate an ANSI-compliant application, use the ANSI-standard atexit function (rather than the similar _onexit function).

Requirements

Routine	Required header
atexit	<stdlib.h>

Example

This program pushes four functions onto the stack of functions to be executed when atexit is called. When the program exits, these programs are executed on a last in, first out basis.

// crt_atexit.c  
#include <stdlib.h>  
#include <stdio.h>  
  
void fn1( void ), fn2( void ), fn3( void ), fn4( void );  
  
int main( void )  
{  
   atexit( fn1 );  
   atexit( fn2 );  
   atexit( fn3 );  
   atexit( fn4 );  
   printf( "This is executed first.\n" );  
}  
  
void fn1()  
{  
   printf( "next.\n" );  
}  
  
void fn2()  
{  
   printf( "executed " );  
}  
  
void fn3()  
{  
   printf( "is " );  
}  
  
void fn4()  
{  
   printf( "This " );  
}  

This is executed first.  
This is executed next.  

See Also

Process and Environment Control
abort
exit, _Exit, _exit
_onexit, _onexit_m