RFC: macros for avoiding unused-param warnings

**janwas** · October 16, 2011

We have two macros for annotating code and preventing unused argument/variable warnings.

void Function(int argument1, float UNUSED(argument2))
{
	ASSERT(argument1 == 0);
	UNUSED2(argument1);
}

The first argument is used only in debug mode, so we need UNUSED2 to suppress the warning.

I never did like that name for the macro, but UNUSED_VARIABLE is a bit too long, and naming

UNUSED differently would be even worse in that regard, because it sometimes occurs several times in parameter lists.

I just had a simple idea - how about replacing UNUSED() with a C-style comment: float /*argument2*/ ?

That shortens the parameter list and leaves the UNUSED name for the current UNUSED2.

Any objections or suggestions for further improvement?

**Ykkrosh** · October 16, 2011

The macro is valuable for Doxygen - we run it with

PREDEFINED = "UNUSED(x)=x"

so that it knows the names of the unused parameters, and I think using comments would break that.

(Also I think using comments is more ugly than the current macros, but that's not a particularly technical argument )

**janwas** · October 16, 2011

That's a very good point. I don't see a way to get commented-out names into Doxygen.

There are not THAT many unused parameters, but I agree they should be mentioned in Doxygen.

The commenting-out idea is dead in the water as far as I'm concerned.

Any ideas for better (but still short) names for the macros?

Recommended Posts