Add documentation to fork()

dave · dave · commit 7abdd26013a1 · 2004-09-21T15:13:53.000Z
git-svn-id: svn+ssh://ci.ruby-lang.org/ruby/branches/ruby_1_8@6943 b2dd03c8-39d4-4d8f-98ff-823fe69b080e
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+Wed Sep 22 00:11:12 2004  Dave Thomas  <dave@pragprog.com>
+
+	* process.c: Add documentation for fork()
+
 Tue Sep 21 18:29:49 2004  Yukihiro Matsumoto  <matz@ruby-lang.org>
 
 	* array.c (rb_ary_equal): merge miss.
diff --git a/process.c b/process.c
@@ -1233,9 +1233,20 @@ rb_f_exec(argc, argv)
 
 /*
  *  call-seq:
+ *     Kernel.fork  [{ block }]   => fixnum or nil
  *     Process.fork [{ block }]   => fixnum or nil
- *  
- *  See <code>Kernel::fork</code>.
+ *
+ *  Creates a subprocess. If a block is specified, that block is run
+ *  in the subprocess, and the subprocess terminates with a status of
+ *  zero. Otherwise, the +fork+ call returns twice, once in
+ *  the parent, returning the process ID of the child, and once in
+ *  the child, returning _nil_. The child process can exit using
+ *  <code>Kernel.exit!</code> to avoid running any
+ *  <code>at_exit</code> functions. The parent process should 
+ *  use <code>Process.wait</code> to collect the termination statuses 
+ *  of its children or use <code>Process.detach</code> to register
+ *  disinterest in their status; otherwise, the operating system
+ *  may accumulate zombie processes.
  */
 
 static VALUE
@@ -1416,6 +1427,7 @@ rb_f_system(argc, argv)
 	if (RARRAY(argv[0])->len != 2) {
 	    rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "wrong first argument");
 	}
+ *     Kernel.fork  [{ block }]   => fixnum or nil
 	prog = RARRAY(argv[0])->ptr[0];
 	argv[0] = RARRAY(argv[0])->ptr[1];
     }
