When compiling the source with "-Wall -O", gcc gives the following warning:
% gcc -c -Wall -O gcc_test.c gcc_test.c: In function ?functionLeon?: gcc_test.c:11: warning: ?reference? may be used uninitialized in this function % cat gcc_test.c #include<stdio.h> typedef struct { int yb; } TCRData; void functionLeon (TCRData *pParent, int pBool); void functionLeon (TCRData *pParent, int pBool) { int isRootCell; TCRData *reference; isRootCell = (pParent == NULL); if (!isRootCell) reference = pParent; if (pBool) { if(!isRootCell) reference->yb++; } } % gcc -v Using built-in specs. Target: x86_64-redhat-linux Configured with: ../../src/gcc-4.4.0/configure --prefix=/remote/depotsrc/depotsrc/amd64-2.4/local_install/gcc-4.4.0 --enable-bootstrap --enable-shared --enable-threads=posix --disable-checking -with-gmp=/remote/depotsrc/depotsrc/amd64-2.4/local_install/gmp-4.3.1 --with-mpfr=/remote/depotsrc/depotsrc/amd64-2.4/local_install/mpfr-2.4.1 --with-system-zlib --enable-__cxa_atexit --disable-libunwind-exceptions --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran --with-cpu=generic --build=x86_64-redhat-linux Thread model: posix gcc version 4.4.0 (GCC) -- Summary: "may be used uninitialized" compiled with "-Wall -O" Product: gcc Version: 4.4.0 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: c AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: numidee at synopsys dot com GCC build triplet: x86_64-redhat-linux http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=42643