linux-kernel - [PATCH] checkpatch: Flag code that returns a negative number

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Message-ID: <1464967533-14634-1-git-send-email-nm@ti.com>
Date:	Fri, 3 Jun 2016 10:25:33 -0500
From:	Nishanth Menon <nm@...com>
To:	Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>, Andy Whitcroft <apw@...onical.com>
CC:	<linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, Nishanth Menon <nm@...com>
Subject: [PATCH] checkpatch: Flag code that returns a negative number

In some functions, returning a -ve decimal value is actually a valid
return condition when the function is returning a value, however, it
can also be misused for returning an error value that should ideally
be a valid error code defined in include/uapi/asm-generic/errno-base.h
or include/uapi/asm-generic/errno.h

Considering typical newbie error of doing the following:
int fn(void)
{
	/* ... error condition ... */
	return -1;
}

void fn1(void)
{
	/* some code */
	if (fn() < 0) {
		pr_err("Error occurred\n");
		return;
	}
	/* other cases... */
}

Flag this as a check case for developer verification.

Signed-off-by: Nishanth Menon <nm@...com>
---
 scripts/checkpatch.pl | 6 ++++++
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+)

diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 4904ced676d4..f6fa07fe33a5 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -4351,6 +4351,12 @@ sub process {
 			}
 		}
 
+# return with a value is not usually a good sign, unless the function is supposed to return a value
+		if (defined($stat) && $stat =~ /^.\s*return\s*-[0-9]+\s*;/s) {
+			CHK("RETURN_NUMBER",
+			    "Suspect error return with a value, If this is error value, refer to include/uapi/asm-generic/errno-base.h  and include/uapi/asm-generic/errno.h\n" . $herecurr);
+		}
+
 # unnecessary return in a void function
 # at end-of-function, with the previous line a single leading tab, then return;
 # and the line before that not a goto label target like "out:"
-- 
2.8.0