[erlang-questions] Warning not emitted on string matching clauses

Pierre Fenoll pierrefenoll@REDACTED
Wed Apr 1 20:42:50 CEST 2015


-module(wat_clauses).
-export([authenticate_nouns/1]).
authenticate_nouns([{<<"user_auth">>, _}]) -> 'true';
authenticate_nouns([{<<"user_auth">>, [<<"recovery">>]}]) -> hi;
authenticate_nouns(_Nouns) -> 'false'.


In this code <https://gist.github.com/fenollp/c08e86bdf15b28552824> (or
above), the second clause will never match (because of source-order).
But erlc does not complain about it.

Ferd on IRC mentioned that the compiler might feel free to reorder clauses.
But the call wat_clauses:authenticate_nouns([{<<"user_auth">>,
[<<"recovery">>]}])
returns true instead of hi, so no reordering is done.

Dialyzer does not complain either.

Am I right in thinking we should have a warning about a never matching
clause?

-- 
Pierre Fenoll
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