Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience.
Accept
to the top
close form

Fill out the form in 2 simple steps below:

Your contact information:

Step 1
Congratulations! This is your promo code!

Desired license type:

Step 2
Team license
Enterprise license
** By clicking this button you agree to our Privacy Policy statement
close form
Request our prices
New License
License Renewal
--Select currency--
USD
EUR
* By clicking this button you agree to our Privacy Policy statement

close form
Free PVS‑Studio license for Microsoft MVP specialists
* By clicking this button you agree to our Privacy Policy statement

close form
To get the licence for your open-source project, please fill out this form
* By clicking this button you agree to our Privacy Policy statement

close form
I am interested to try it on the platforms:
* By clicking this button you agree to our Privacy Policy statement

close form
check circle
Message submitted.

Your message has been sent. We will email you at


If you do not see the email in your inbox, please check if it is filtered to one of the following folders:

  • Promotion
  • Updates
  • Spam

Webinar: Evaluation - 05.12

>
>
>
V591. Non-void function must return val…
menu mobile close menu
Analyzer diagnostics
General Analysis (C++)
General Analysis (C#)
General Analysis (Java)
Micro-Optimizations (C++)
Diagnosis of 64-bit errors (Viva64, C++)
Customer specific requests (C++)
MISRA errors
AUTOSAR errors
OWASP errors (C++)
OWASP errors (C#)
Problems related to code analyzer
Additional information
toggle menu Contents

V591. Non-void function must return value.

Aug 31 2011

The analyzer has detected a non-void function with an execution path that does not return a value. Such a function results in undefined behavior.

Flowing off the end of a non-void function with no 'return' results in undefined behavior.

Let's consider an example:

int GetSign(int arg)
{
  if (arg > 0)
  {
    return 1;
  }
  else if (arg < 0)
  {
    return -1;
  }
}

If the 'GetSign' function receives 0, undefined behavior will occur. Here's the correct version:

int GetSign(int arg)
{
  if (arg > 0)
  {
    return 1;
  }
  else if (arg < 0)
  {
    return -1;
  }

  return 0;
}

The 'main' and 'wmain' functions are the exceptions. Flowing off the end of these functions is equivalent to a 'return 0;'. Thus, these functions do not result in undefined behavior. Let's consider an example.

....
int main()
{
  AnalyzeFile(FILE_NAME);
}

In this case, we have the 'main' function. There will be no undefined behavior here. That's why, the analyzer will not issue a warning. The code fragment is equivalent to the following:

....
int main()
{
  AnalyzeFile(FILE_NAME);
  return 0;
}

Note that undefined behavior occurs only if the end of a non-void function is actually reached. Particularly, if during the function execution an exception is thrown and is not caught in the body of the same function, there will be no undefined behavior.

The analyzer will not issue a warning for the following code fragment:

int Calc(int arg);

int Bar(int arg)
{
  if (arg > 0)
  {
    return Calc(arg);
  }
  throw std::logic_error { "bad arg was passed to Bar" };
}

There will also be no undefined behavior if, during the function execution, another function that does not return control, is called. Such functions are usually marked '[[noreturn]]'. Thus, the analyzer will not issue a warning for the following code fragment:

[[noreturn]] void exit(int exit_code);

int Foo()
{
  ....
  exit(10);
}

This diagnostic is classified as:

You can look at examples of errors detected by the V591 diagnostic.