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---
# Using exit or return
When you call **exit** or execute a `return` statement from **main**, static objects are destroyed in the reverse order of their initialization. The following example shows how such initialization and cleanup works.  
  
## Example  
  
```  
// using_exit_or_return1.cpp  
#include <stdio.h>  
class ShowData {  
public:  
   // Constructor opens a file.  
   ShowData( const char *szDev ) {  
   errno_t err;  
      err = fopen_s(&OutputDev, szDev, "w" );  
   }  
  
   // Destructor closes the file.  
   ~ShowData() { fclose( OutputDev ); }  
  
   // Disp function shows a string on the output device.  
   void Disp( char *szData ) {   
      fputs( szData, OutputDev );  
   }  
private:  
   FILE *OutputDev;  
};  
  
//  Define a static object of type ShowData. The output device  
//   selected is "CON" -- the standard output device.  
ShowData sd1 = "CON";  
  
//  Define another static object of type ShowData. The output  
//   is directed to a file called "HELLO.DAT"  
ShowData sd2 = "hello.dat";  
  
int main() {  
   sd1.Disp( "hello to default device\n" );  
   sd2.Disp( "hello to file hello.dat\n" );  
}  
```  
  
 In the preceding example, the static objects `sd1` and `sd2` are created and initialized before entry to `main`. After this program terminates using the `return` statement, first `sd2` is destroyed and then `sd1`. The destructor for the `ShowData` class closes the files associated with these static objects.   
  
 Another way to write this code is to declare the `ShowData` objects with block scope, allowing them to be destroyed when they go out of scope:  
  
```  
int main() {  
   ShowData sd1, sd2( "hello.dat" );  
  
   sd1.Disp( "hello to default device\n" );  
   sd2.Disp( "hello to file hello.dat\n" );  
}  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [Additional Termination Considerations](../cpp/additional-termination-considerations.md)