****************************************************************************/
 
 
-/**************************************************************************
-       my constants -- constants I like
-
-       Probably redundant.
-
-***************************************************************************/
-
-#define META_ERROR                     FALSE
-#define META_SUCCESS           TRUE
-#define META_FAILURE           FALSE
-
-
 /*     I add modifications to the traditional metaphone algorithm that you
        might find in books.  Define this if you want metaphone to behave
        traditionally */
 #define  TH            '0'
 
 static char Lookahead(char *word, int how_far);
-static int     _metaphone(char *word, int max_phonemes, char **phoned_word);
+static void    _metaphone(char *word, int max_phonemes, char **phoned_word);
 
 /* Metachar.h ... little bits about characters for metaphone */
 
        size_t          str_i_len = strlen(str_i);
        int                     reqlen;
        char       *metaph;
-       int                     retval;
 
        /* return an empty string if we receive one */
        if (!(str_i_len > 0))
                                (errcode(ERRCODE_ZERO_LENGTH_CHARACTER_STRING),
                                 errmsg("output cannot be empty string")));
 
-
-       retval = _metaphone(str_i, reqlen, &metaph);
-       if (retval == META_SUCCESS)
-               PG_RETURN_TEXT_P(cstring_to_text(metaph));
-       else
-       {
-               /* internal error */
-               elog(ERROR, "metaphone: failure");
-               /* keep the compiler quiet */
-               PG_RETURN_NULL();
-       }
+       _metaphone(str_i, reqlen, &metaph);
+       PG_RETURN_TEXT_P(cstring_to_text(metaph));
 }
 
 
 #define Isbreak(c)     (!isalpha((unsigned char) (c)))
 
 
-static int
+static void
 _metaphone(char *word,                 /* IN */
                   int max_phonemes,
                   char **phoned_word)  /* OUT */
                if (Curr_Letter == '\0')
                {
                        End_Phoned_Word;
-                       return META_SUCCESS;    /* For testing */
+                       return;
                }
        }
 
 
        End_Phoned_Word;
 
-       return (META_SUCCESS);
+       return;
 }                                                              /* END metaphone */