<refentry id="wait">
<refnamediv>
<refname>Wait</refname>
<refpurpose>wait for task termination</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>
<funcsynopsis>
<funcprototype>
  <funcdef><function>wait</function></funcdef>
  <paramdef>int *<parameter>status</parameter></paramdef>
</funcprototype>

<funcprototype>
  <funcdef><function>wait</function></funcdef>
  <paramdef><parameter>0</parameter></paramdef>
</funcprototype>
</funcsynopsis>

</refsynopsisdiv>

<refsect1><title>Assembler Equivalent</title>
<para>
os9 F$WAIT
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>Description</title>
<para>
Wait is used to halt the current task until a child task has
terminated.
</para>
<para>
The call returns the task id of the terminating task and places
the status of that task in the integer pointed to by "status"
unless "status" is 0. A wait must be executed for each child
task spawned.
</para>
<para>
The status will contain the argument of the "exit" or "_exit"
call in the child task of the signal number if it was
interrupted. A normally terminating C program with no call to
"exit" or "_exit" has an implied call of "exit(0)".
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>Caveats</title>
<para>
NOTE that the status is the OS-9 status code and is not
compatible with codes on other systems.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>Diagnostics</title>
<para>
-1 is returned if there is no child to be waited for.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>See Also</title>
<para>
<link linkend="os9fork">os9fork()</link>,
<link linkend="signal">signal()</link>,
<link linkend="exit">exit(),_exit()</link>
</para>
</refsect1>
</refentry>