Python: Do not report unreachable "catch-all" cases in elif-chains.

This was brought up on the LGTM.com forums here:
https://discuss.lgtm.com/t/warn-when-always-failing-assert-is-reachable-rather-than-unreachable/2436

Essentially, in a complex chain of `elif` statements, like

```python
if x < 0:
    ...
elif x >= 0:
    ...
else:
    ...
```

the `else` clause is redundant, since the preceding conditions completely
exhaust the possible values for `x` (assuming `x` is an integer). Rather than
promoting the final `elif` clause to an `else` clause, it is common to instead
raise an explicit exception in the `else` clause. During execution, this
exception will never actually be raised, but its presence indicates that the
preceding conditions are intended to cover all possible cases.

I think it's a fair point. This is a clear instance where the alert, even if it
is technically correct, is not useful for the end user.

Also, I decided to make the exclusion fairly restrictive: it only applies if
the unreachable statement is an `assert False, ...` or `raise ...`, and only
if said statement is the first in the `else` block. Any other statements will
still be reported.
This commit is contained in:
Taus Brock-Nannestad
2019-10-29 12:03:41 +01:00
parent 6e6dab9ab8
commit 5e62da7690
2 changed files with 30 additions and 7 deletions

View File

@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ import python
predicate typing_import(ImportingStmt is) {
exists(Module m |
is.getScope() = m and
exists(TypeHintComment tc |
tc.getLocation().getFile() = m.getFile()
)
exists(TypeHintComment tc | tc.getLocation().getFile() = m.getFile())
)
}
@@ -39,6 +37,15 @@ predicate suppression_in_scope(Stmt s) {
)
}
/** Holds if `s` is a statement that raises an exception at the end of an if-elif-else chain. */
predicate marks_an_impossible_else_branch(Stmt s) {
exists(If i | i.getOrelse().getItem(0) = s |
s.(Assert).getTest() instanceof False
or
s instanceof Raise
)
}
predicate reportable_unreachable(Stmt s) {
s.isUnreachable() and
not typing_import(s) and
@@ -46,11 +53,10 @@ predicate reportable_unreachable(Stmt s) {
not exists(Stmt other | other.isUnreachable() |
other.contains(s)
or
exists(StmtList l, int i, int j |
l.getItem(i) = other and l.getItem(j) = s and i < j
)
exists(StmtList l, int i, int j | l.getItem(i) = other and l.getItem(j) = s and i < j)
) and
not unique_yield(s)
not unique_yield(s) and
not marks_an_impossible_else_branch(s)
}
from Stmt s