using pipe() dup() and execlp to mock the | shell operator

pipe.c

#include <sys/wait.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <string.h>
/**
Using pipe() and dup() plus execlp() to
reproduce the | shell operator behavior
**/
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    int pfd[2];
    pid_t cpid;
    char buf;
    if(argc != 2)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "Missing parameter\n");
        exit(-1);
    }
    if(pipe(pfd) == -1)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "Pipe error\n");
        exit(-1);
    }
    cpid = fork();
    if(cpid == -1)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "Fork error\n");
        exit(-1);
    }
    if( cpid == 0 )
    {
        /* child will not write into pipe */
        close(pfd[1]);
        /* closing the standard input file descriptor*/
        close(STDIN_FILENO);
        /* dup returns the lower number available for a file descriptor
           As we just closed the STDIN file desc (0) we know that what we
           get here is 0 */
        int new_stdin = dup(pfd[0]);
        /* what folows from there is that
           any command reading from stdin will
           now read its input from the pipe input file desc */
        execlp("wc","wc", "-l", 0);
        close(pfd[0]);
        close(new_stdin);
        exit(0);
    }
    else
    {
        /* Father */
        close(pfd[0]);
        close(STDOUT_FILENO);
        /* dup returns the lower number available for a file descriptor
           As we just closed the STDOUT file desc (1) we know that what we
           get here is 1 */
        int new_stdout = dup(pfd[1]);
        /* what folows from there is that
           any command writing to stdout will
           now write its output into the pipe */
        execlp("ls", "ls", (char *)NULL);
        close(pfd[1]);
        close(new_stdout);
        /* waiting for child */
        wait(NULL);
        exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
    }
    return(0);
}