tjt.mit-vax@Mit-Xx@sri-unix (09/01/82)
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.