From: utzoo!decvax!cca!tjt.mit-vax@Mit-Xx@sri-unix
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Title: Re: 'return' statement
Article-I.D.: sri-unix.3042
Posted: Wed Sep  1 04:39:35 1982
Received: Wed Sep  8 02:35:04 1982

Date: 26 Aug 1982 23:54:50-EDT
I was moderately surprised when I first noticed that the parentheses
in a return statement were optional while thumbing through "The
Programming Language C" by Kernighan and Ritchie. I just dug out my
V6 vintage "C Reference Manual", which indicates that the parentheses
ARE required for a return statement.  I have no idea whether the
parentheses really were required, but this would explain why so many
C programs (and programmers) use them anyway.