I have to say I hate that. I do not miss the "Is this actually failing?" debate I get every time I write C. Joel complains about exceptions being invisible but

I have to say I hate that. I do not miss the "Is this actually failing?" debate I get every time I write C. Joel complains about exceptions being invisible but how is returning errors any better? If a function returns 0 has it failed? If it has failed why? Has it lost connection? No results? A generic no? If another function from the same library returns a 0 is that also an error or is error reporting inconsistent? It's impossible to know what is being communicated to the point I don't even know its an error.