Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 149889
local variable used before set
Last modified: 2007-11-30 17:11:00 EST
Description of problem: I just tried to compile package netdiag-2.4-4 from Redhat Fedora Extras development tree. The compiler said tulip-diag.c(891): remark #592: variable "sum" is used before its value is set The source code is u_int16_t sum; outl(0x600 | i, ioaddr + 0x98); do value = inl(ioaddr + CSR9); while (value < 0 && --boguscnt > 0); ((u_int16_t *)eeprom_contents)[i] = value; sum += value & 0xffff; Suggest init local variable "sum" before first use. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): How reproducible: Steps to Reproduce: 1. 2. 3. Actual results: Expected results: Additional info:
"sum" is a local/temporary variable and is only assigned to. It's not read later. Could be for debugging purposes, whatever. Not a bug, no threat or side-effects or anything like that.
>is only assigned to So what happens if someone writes code which assumes that local variable "sum" has something of value in it ? Suggest either the local variable is useless, and so it can be removed, or that it does something useful and so it should be initialised to something sensible. You can't have your cake and eat it, surely ?
Fedora Extras is the wrong place where to "suggest" such code modifications. It would imply that we apply a patch, which doesn't increase the value of the built software and which might need to be revisited and updated for future version upgrades for no benefit. If upstream developers chose to insert that line of code in this place, that is their decision. Please seek contact with the upstream project if you want to discuss the usefulness of that code.