Octal integer literal
ID |
c.correctness.octal_constant |
Severity |
low |
Remediation Complexity |
trivial |
Remediation Risk |
medium |
Remediation Effort |
low |
Resource |
Numeric Literal |
Language |
C / C++ |
Description
This integer literal begins with a leading 0, so it is interpreted as octal (base 8), not decimal. A reader may misread 010 as ten when it is actually eight. If a decimal value was intended, drop the leading zero; if octal is intended, add a comment to make it explicit.
Rationale
This integer literal begins with a leading 0, so it is interpreted as octal (base 8), not decimal. A reader may misread 010 as ten when it is actually eight. If a decimal value was intended, drop the leading zero; if octal is intended, add a comment to make it explicit.
The following code illustrates the pattern detected by this rule:
// Adapted from MISRA C:2012 Rule 7.1 examples (octal constants).
void f(void)
{
int code;
// FLAGGED: Octal integer literal
code = 0777;
// FLAGGED: Octal integer literal
code = 010;
code = 0;
code = 7777;
(void)code;
}Remediation
Follow secure coding practices and review the references below for detailed remediation guidance.