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Groups > comp.lang.c > #394651

Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case

From Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case
Date 2025-10-22 10:05 -0300
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <10dakrm$l3n2$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <10da67g$3q59f$1@dont-email.me> <10da8bo$hker$1@dont-email.me> <10dag3d$jkju$1@dont-email.me>

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On 10/22/2025 8:44 AM, Richard Harnden wrote:
....
>> Your program fragment is well defined.
>>
>> What the poster certainly tried to express was that in case you
>> haven't implemented a complete list of all possible cases and
>> also not provided a 'default' to catch all non-specified cases,
>> then you might get in troubles with your program, probably by
>> possible oversights, future extensions, new data, and whatnot.
>>
>> Personally I have the habit to always define a default branch,
>> and even if that default is impossible to reach you'll find an
>> error message (like "internal error with unexpected value...")
>> generated at that place.
>>
> Use an enum, and the compiler will warn you ...
> 
> $ cat x.c
> #include <stdio.h>
> 
> enum x {A, B, C};
> 
> int main(void)
> {
>      enum x x = C;
> 
>      switch (x)
>      {
>          case A:
>              printf("A\n");
>              break;
> 
>          case B:
>              printf("B\n");
>              break;
>      }
> 
>      return 0;
> }
> 
> $ gcc -Wall x.c
> x.c: In function ‘main’:
> x.c:9:9: warning: enumeration value ‘C’ not handled in switch [-Wswitch]
>      9 |         switch (x)
>        |         ^~~~~~
> 
> 

The problem with this GCC approach is when there are many enumerators 
but only a few are used.

For instance :

enum E {A, B, C, /*..., Z*/};

1)
void f(enum E e)
{
     switch (e)
     {
         //used
         case A:
         case B:
          break;

         //NON USED
         case C:
         ...
         case Z:
          break;
     };
}

The problem with (1) is when we have too many
non used enumerators, it is impractical to have a lot of switch cases.

One alternative is to use default for all the non used:

2)
void f(enum E e)
{
     switch (e)
     {
         //used
         case A:
         case B:
          break;

         //NON USED (all others)
         default:
          break;
     };
}


The problem with (2) is when we add a new enumerator and
this new enumerations should be used, but there is no warning and it 
goes accidentally for default.


Solution?

In C2Y the new keyword _Countof was introduced.
It works returns the number of elements of array. IT IS FOR ARRAY ONLY.

I did an EXTENSION in my compiler where _Countof(enum E) also returns 
the number of enumerators.


enum E2 {A, B};
static_assert(_Countof(enum E2) == 2);

(It also could be a new keyword.
static_assert(_EnumCount(enum E2) == 2);)

Having this we can do:

3)
void f(enum E e)
{
     switch (e)
     {
         //used
         case A:
         case B:
          break;

         default:
          static_assert(_EnumCount(enum E2) == 20);
          break;
     };

}

Then when adding a new enumerator the programmer will have to review 
this code and update to 21 if it is not used, or handle it in a new case.

This is also useful in other scenarios. For instance:


enum E parse_enum_e(const char* s)
{
     if (strcmp(s, "A") == 0) return A;
     if (strcmp(s, "B") == 0) return B;
     if (strcmp(s, "C") == 0) return C;
     if (strcmp(s, "D") == 0) return D;
     if (strcmp(s, "E") == 0) return E;
     if (strcmp(s, "F") == 0) return F;
     static_assert(_Countof(enum E) == 6);

     return A;
}

If a new enumerator is added we need to include it.

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Thread

bugprone-switch-missing-default-case pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2025-10-22 10:56 +0200
  Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-10-22 11:32 +0200
    Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Richard Harnden <richard.nospam@gmail.invalid> - 2025-10-22 12:44 +0100
      Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2025-10-22 10:05 -0300
        Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Kaz Kylheku <643-408-1753@kylheku.com> - 2025-10-22 18:22 +0000
          Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-23 09:12 +0200
            Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2025-10-23 08:03 -0300
              Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-23 17:06 +0200
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2025-10-23 13:15 -0300
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2025-10-23 17:46 +0100
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2025-10-23 14:12 -0300
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-23 22:40 +0200
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2025-10-23 20:51 +0000
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-10-23 16:21 -0700
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-24 08:59 +0200
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2025-10-24 15:51 +0000
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case tTh <tth@none.invalid> - 2025-10-23 23:57 +0200
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-24 09:22 +0200
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case antispam@fricas.org (Waldek Hebisch) - 2025-10-23 23:23 +0000
                Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-24 09:53 +0200
      Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-22 15:41 +0200
        Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-10-22 16:05 +0200
          Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-22 17:23 +0200
            Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-10-23 04:54 +0200
              Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-23 09:30 +0200
            Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case antispam@fricas.org (Waldek Hebisch) - 2025-10-23 22:40 +0000
        Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-10-22 12:41 -0700
          Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2025-10-23 08:47 +0200
            Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-10-23 16:17 -0700
              Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-10-23 19:13 -0700
          Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-23 10:44 +0200
      Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-10-22 15:56 +0200
        Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-22 17:25 +0200
          Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-10-23 04:39 +0200
            Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-23 09:08 +0200
          Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-10-23 16:31 -0700
            Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-10-24 10:09 +0200
  Re: bugprone-switch-missing-default-case Kaz Kylheku <643-408-1753@kylheku.com> - 2025-10-22 18:13 +0000

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