FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.5.0"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0-b64)
Java Hotspot(TM) Server VM (build 1.5.0-b64, mixed mode)


ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
SunOS 5.8

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
java.lang.Process.waitFor() is supposed to return an int. This works fine in Java 1.4.2, but not in Java 1.5.0. I have code that expects a negative return code of "-99". However, this gets returned as "157" in this line of code:

int status = p.waitFor(); // Process p

  To fix this, I have to cast the integer return to a byte:

int status = (byte)p.waitFor();


STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
I call a C++ application using Runtime.getRuntime().exec(). The C++ application returns with "exit(-99)". I also tried "return -99" and get the same results. On the java side, p.waitFor() returns "157" instead of "-99". However, this code works perfectly in Java 1.4.2. It appears that Java 1.5.0 is internally not allowing negative integer values to be returned. (157 + 99 = 256).
  


EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Expected -99 to be returned, but got 157 on the Java side.
ACTUAL -
Java side gets return status of 157 instead of -99.

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
Here is a snippet of the code:

JAVA SIDE:
public static void main()
{
  Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("C++_appplication_path");
                                                   // replace with path to C++ app
  int status = p.waitFor();
  // status gets 157 instead of -99
}

C++ SIDE:
int main
{
exit(-99); // or return -99 works the same too
}
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Cast the return of Process.waitFor() to a byte as follows:
int status = (byte)p.waitFor();

Release Regression From : 1.4.2
The above release value was the last known release where this
bug was known to work. Since then there has been a regression.