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| 1 | +# Unreachable code |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +## Detecting unreachable code |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +In this section, we look at various scenarios how sections of code can become unreachable. We should |
| 6 | +eventually introduce a new diagnostic that would detect unreachable code. |
| 7 | + |
| 8 | +### Terminal statements |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | +In the following examples, the `print` statements are definitely unreachable. |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +```py |
| 13 | +def f1(): |
| 14 | + return |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | + # TODO: we should mark this as unreachable |
| 17 | + print("unreachable") |
| 18 | + |
| 19 | +def f2(): |
| 20 | + raise Exception() |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | + # TODO: we should mark this as unreachable |
| 23 | + print("unreachable") |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +def f3(): |
| 26 | + while True: |
| 27 | + break |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | + # TODO: we should mark this as unreachable |
| 30 | + print("unreachable") |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +def f4(): |
| 33 | + for _ in range(10): |
| 34 | + continue |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | + # TODO: we should mark this as unreachable |
| 37 | + print("unreachable") |
| 38 | +``` |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +### Infinite loops |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +```py |
| 43 | +def f1(): |
| 44 | + while True: |
| 45 | + pass |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | + # TODO: we should mark this as unreachable |
| 48 | + print("unreachable") |
| 49 | +``` |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +### Statically known branches |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +In the following examples, the `print` statements are also unreachable, but it requires type |
| 54 | +inference to determine that: |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | +```py |
| 57 | +def f1(): |
| 58 | + if 2 + 3 > 10: |
| 59 | + # TODO: we should mark this as unreachable |
| 60 | + print("unreachable") |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +def f2(): |
| 63 | + if True: |
| 64 | + return |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | + # TODO: we should mark this as unreachable |
| 67 | + print("unreachable") |
| 68 | +``` |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +### `Never` / `NoReturn` |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +If a function is annotated with a return type of `Never` or `NoReturn`, we can consider all code |
| 73 | +after the call to that function unreachable. |
| 74 | + |
| 75 | +```py |
| 76 | +from typing_extensions import NoReturn |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +def always_raises() -> NoReturn: |
| 79 | + raise Exception() |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +def f(): |
| 82 | + always_raises() |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | + # TODO: we should mark this as unreachable |
| 85 | + print("unreachable") |
| 86 | +``` |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +## Python version and platform checks |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +It is common to have code that is specific to a certain Python version or platform. This case is |
| 91 | +special because whether or not the code is reachable depends on externally configured constants. And |
| 92 | +if we are checking for a set of parameters that makes one of these branches unreachable, that is |
| 93 | +likely not something that the user wants to be warned about, because there are probably other sets |
| 94 | +of parameters that make the branch reachable. |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +### `sys.version_info` branches |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +Consider the following example. If we check with a Python version lower than 3.11, the import |
| 99 | +statement is unreachable. If we check with a Python version equal to or greater than 3.11, the |
| 100 | +import statement is definitely reachable. We should not emit any diagnostics in either case. |
| 101 | + |
| 102 | +#### Checking with Python version 3.10 |
| 103 | + |
| 104 | +```toml |
| 105 | +[environment] |
| 106 | +python-version = "3.10" |
| 107 | +``` |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +```py |
| 110 | +import sys |
| 111 | + |
| 112 | +if sys.version_info >= (3, 11): |
| 113 | + # TODO: we should not emit an error here |
| 114 | + # error: [unresolved-import] |
| 115 | + from typing import Self |
| 116 | +``` |
| 117 | + |
| 118 | +#### Checking with Python version 3.12 |
| 119 | + |
| 120 | +```toml |
| 121 | +[environment] |
| 122 | +python-version = "3.12" |
| 123 | +``` |
| 124 | + |
| 125 | +```py |
| 126 | +import sys |
| 127 | + |
| 128 | +if sys.version_info >= (3, 11): |
| 129 | + from typing import Self |
| 130 | +``` |
| 131 | + |
| 132 | +### `sys.platform` branches |
| 133 | + |
| 134 | +The problem is even more pronounced with `sys.platform` branches, since we don't necessarily have |
| 135 | +the platform information available. |
| 136 | + |
| 137 | +#### Checking with platform `win32` |
| 138 | + |
| 139 | +```toml |
| 140 | +[environment] |
| 141 | +python-platform = "win32" |
| 142 | +``` |
| 143 | + |
| 144 | +```py |
| 145 | +import sys |
| 146 | + |
| 147 | +if sys.platform == "win32": |
| 148 | + sys.getwindowsversion() |
| 149 | +``` |
| 150 | + |
| 151 | +#### Checking with platform `linux` |
| 152 | + |
| 153 | +```toml |
| 154 | +[environment] |
| 155 | +python-platform = "linux" |
| 156 | +``` |
| 157 | + |
| 158 | +```py |
| 159 | +import sys |
| 160 | + |
| 161 | +if sys.platform == "win32": |
| 162 | + # TODO: we should not emit an error here |
| 163 | + # error: [unresolved-attribute] |
| 164 | + sys.getwindowsversion() |
| 165 | +``` |
| 166 | + |
| 167 | +#### Checking without a specified platform |
| 168 | + |
| 169 | +```toml |
| 170 | +[environment] |
| 171 | +# python-platform not specified |
| 172 | +``` |
| 173 | + |
| 174 | +```py |
| 175 | +import sys |
| 176 | + |
| 177 | +if sys.platform == "win32": |
| 178 | + # TODO: we should not emit an error here |
| 179 | + # error: [possibly-unbound-attribute] |
| 180 | + sys.getwindowsversion() |
| 181 | +``` |
| 182 | + |
| 183 | +#### Checking with platform set to `all` |
| 184 | + |
| 185 | +```toml |
| 186 | +[environment] |
| 187 | +python-platform = "all" |
| 188 | +``` |
| 189 | + |
| 190 | +```py |
| 191 | +import sys |
| 192 | + |
| 193 | +if sys.platform == "win32": |
| 194 | + # TODO: we should not emit an error here |
| 195 | + # error: [possibly-unbound-attribute] |
| 196 | + sys.getwindowsversion() |
| 197 | +``` |
| 198 | + |
| 199 | +## No false positive diagnostics in unreachable code |
| 200 | + |
| 201 | +In this section, we make sure that we do not emit false positive diagnostics in unreachable code. |
| 202 | + |
| 203 | +### Use of variables in unreachable code |
| 204 | + |
| 205 | +We should not emit any diagnostics for uses of symbols in unreachable code: |
| 206 | + |
| 207 | +```py |
| 208 | +def f(): |
| 209 | + x = 1 |
| 210 | + return |
| 211 | + |
| 212 | + print("unreachable") |
| 213 | + |
| 214 | + # TODO: we should not emit an error here; we currently do, since there is no control flow path from this |
| 215 | + # use of 'x' to any definition of 'x'. |
| 216 | + # error: [unresolved-reference] |
| 217 | + print(x) |
| 218 | +``` |
| 219 | + |
| 220 | +### Use of variable in nested function |
| 221 | + |
| 222 | +In the example below, since we use `x` in the `inner` function, we use the "public" type of `x`, |
| 223 | +which currently refers to the end-of-scope type of `x`. Since the end of the `outer` scope is |
| 224 | +unreachable, we treat `x` as if it was not defined. This behavior can certainly be improved. |
| 225 | + |
| 226 | +```py |
| 227 | +def outer(): |
| 228 | + x = 1 |
| 229 | + |
| 230 | + def inner(): |
| 231 | + # TODO: we should not emit an error here |
| 232 | + # error: [unresolved-reference] |
| 233 | + return x # Name `x` used when not defined |
| 234 | + while True: |
| 235 | + pass |
| 236 | +``` |
| 237 | + |
| 238 | +## No diagnostics in unreachable code |
| 239 | + |
| 240 | +In general, no diagnostics should be emitted in unreachable code. The reasoning is that any issues |
| 241 | +inside the unreachable section would not cause problems at runtime. And type checking the |
| 242 | +unreachable code under the assumption that it *is* reachable might lead to false positives: |
| 243 | + |
| 244 | +```py |
| 245 | +FEATURE_X_ACTIVATED = False |
| 246 | + |
| 247 | +if FEATURE_X_ACTIVATED: |
| 248 | + def feature_x(): |
| 249 | + print("Performing 'X'") |
| 250 | + |
| 251 | +def f(): |
| 252 | + if FEATURE_X_ACTIVATED: |
| 253 | + # Type checking this particular section as if it were reachable would |
| 254 | + # lead to a false positive, so we should not emit diagnostics here. |
| 255 | + |
| 256 | + # TODO: no error should be emitted here |
| 257 | + # error: [unresolved-reference] |
| 258 | + feature_x() |
| 259 | +``` |
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