Question

Let’s say I have the following code:

struct mytype
{
    ~mytype() { /* do something like call Mix_CloseAudio etc */ }
};

int main()
{
    mytype instant;

    init_stuff();

    start();

    return 0;
}

Is that destructor guaranteed to be called even if exit() is used from somewhere inside start() ?

Answer 1

If you call exit, the destructor will not be called.

From the C++ standard (§3.6.1/4):

Calling the function

void exit(int);

declared in <cstdlib> (18.3) terminates the program without leaving the current block and hence without destroying any objects with automatic storage duration (12.4). If exit is called to end a program during the destruction of an object with static storage duration, the program has undefined behavior.