Re: Warn about ignored return codes

On 31 Aug 2005 00:33:46 -0400, Alex Colvin <alexc@TheWorld.com> wrote:


> >Some compilers can detect unused variables. Which tools can generate
> >warnings for ignored return values from function calls in a similar
> >way? How much can it help in static semantic checking and code
> >analysis for flaw detection?
>
> In a language like C (or LISP) functions often return some potentially
> useful value, even if it's not a status. The function caller doesn't
> always need this value.
> strcpy() returns the destination address. The caller often already
> knows this, having provided it.
> printf() returns a status. It's easier to check ferror(). Or to
> rely on the SIGPIPE exception


*printf() returns either a character count or an error flag. It's
usually easier to check ferror() (later) for the error flag, and in
the rare cases the count is useful for a file you can *often* use
ftell() (although on rare systems it isn't a byte count for text
streams, including stdout, and may be unsupported on nonstorage files
like a tty or pipe); for sprintf() it is sometimes useful.


signal() returns the previous handler, which when reverting is the one
you set, and when permanently overriding doesn't matter.


time() can return its value *or* store through an argument or (very
rarely useful) both.


> So it's common to ignore return values.
>
> You could annotate functions to distinguish error returns from such
> incidental value returns. You could also allow a printf status to be
> discarded as long as ferror() is used. If you have enough dataflow
> information you might be able to track error status flow.


- David.Thompson1 at worldnet.att.net

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