linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 4/4] alpha: Move two assignments for the variable "res" in srm_env_proc

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Message-ID: <20170118141103.GD1555@ZenIV.linux.org.uk>
Date:   Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:11:03 +0000
From:   Al Viro <viro@...IV.linux.org.uk>
To:     SF Markus Elfring <elfring@...rs.sourceforge.net>
Cc:     linux-alpha@...r.kernel.org,
        Ivan Kokshaysky <ink@...assic.park.msu.ru>,
        Jan-Benedict Glaw <jbglaw@...-owl.de>,
        Matt Turner <mattst88@...il.com>,
        Nicolas Pitre <nicolas.pitre@...aro.org>,
        Richard Cochran <richardcochran@...il.com>,
        Richard Henderson <rth@...ddle.net>,
        Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
        LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        kernel-janitors@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH 4/4] alpha: Move two assignments for the variable "res"
 in srm_env_proc_write()

On Wed, Jan 18, 2017 at 12:50:17PM +0100, SF Markus Elfring wrote:
> From: Markus Elfring <elfring@...rs.sourceforge.net>
> Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2017 12:08:44 +0100
> 
> A local variable was set to an error code in two cases before a concrete
> error situation was detected. Thus move the corresponding assignment into
> an if branch to indicate a software failure there.
> 
> This issue was detected by using the Coccinelle software.

Why the hell is that an issue?  It's a common enough idiom, and while these
functions are far from being hot paths, blind patches like that are very
much to be discouraged.  NAK.