Problem:
Calling (exit) in the aria code kills the host application. This happens because (exit) calls the c-language exit function.

Proposed Solution

1. Adding an int in_shutdown flag and int exit_code member to ar_State will allow the hosting application to examine the result. (For more complex results consider using ar_Value* for the result code instead.)
2. To do this you'll need to alter any loops that could execute infinitely as the result of an aria-script.
3. I can make the fix for you if you would like. (I've got 4 alterations for my needs going right now. I'll separate them out if you agree.)

Use Case
The consuming developer wishes to embed an aria console in their application, modeled on the sample main function.

Estimated Impact
Cons: Potential for human error during copy and paste.
Pros: It keeps the coding style neat and consistent with the rest of aria and provides an "out of the box" compilable solution for beginning programmers who want to start extending and embedding aria in another application.

Use Case
A developer wants to embed aria into a C++ applications.

Estimated Impact
Cons: None I can think of.
Pros: Extends the reach of host languages.

This is low priority, but I thought I'd toss it out there.

I tinker with microcontrollers. Lately I've been using aria on a NUCLEOF411RE. It has a whopping 96K of RAM (this is actually large for microcontrollers). I foresee needing to explicitly do garbage collection, in some aria programs, in order to keep enough RAM free to stay operational.

Use Case:
Consuming applications need to be as secure as possible. They can be no more secure than their least secure component. By securing the features using these functions you improve the security of client applications.

Estimated Impact:

Cons: There will be some extra coding will need to be done around fopen_s as it returns an error code value.
Pros:

1. using fopen_s this will more easily allow the code to give more meaningful interpretations of various file system errors, vs, just a simple success/failure on file access.
2. Doing the rest give peace of mind to consumers.
3. Some compiler settings will prevent compilation if using the insecure alternatives. Making these changes will allow people to retain stringent security checks in their compilers without special casing the code in aria.c.
4. I can submit these changes to you if you would like. (I'm 99% done. I've not properly used the return code from fopen_s yet)