Function parameter is reassigned
ID |
c.maintainability.avoid_reassigning_parameters |
Severity |
low |
Remediation Complexity |
medium |
Remediation Risk |
low |
Remediation Effort |
low |
Resource |
Control Flow |
Language |
C / C++ |
Description
Parameter $P is reassigned inside the function body. Overwriting a parameter loses the caller’s original argument value and makes the code harder to follow (the name no longer means what was passed in). Introduce a local variable for the modified value and leave the parameter unchanged.
Rationale
Parameter $P is reassigned inside the function body. Overwriting a parameter loses the caller’s original argument value and makes the code harder to follow (the name no longer means what was passed in). Introduce a local variable for the modified value and leave the parameter unchanged.
The following code illustrates the pattern detected by this rule:
int f(int count, int limit, int extra)
{
// FLAGGED: Function parameter is reassigned
count = count + 1;
int local = 0;
local = 5;
// FLAGGED: Function parameter is reassigned
limit = limit - 1;
// FLAGGED: Function parameter is reassigned
extra = 0;
return count + limit + extra + local;
}