unreachable code

Why is it that when I write the following code,
1. do{
2. //do something
3. }while(true);
4. //some code
I get a compiler error at line 4 saying "unreachable code",
whereas when I write the following code

1. int c=10;
2. do{
3. //do something
4. }while(c==10);
5. //some code

I don't get the unreachable code compile time error. At both times the condition in the while is "true".

I could only guess that it is because c==10 is only evaluated at runtime whereas true is always true, so the compiler is able to tell you at compile time of your error.

yes, you have C initialize before the loop, so the compiler figures,
maybe somewhere you'll be able to change the C to 9 or 8.

but when all you have is while(true);

the true can and will never be false.

so the compiler recognizes and throws this error..

try to put...

boolean found = true; before the loop, and then while(found);

at the end of the do loop;

see if it compiles then,

but you'll still crash at runtime...

Justin

Hi Allen,

yes it is a matter of compile time and runtime. The following code will not compile at the lonely semikolon at the end (representing code):

and it does not compile, because the compiler knows, that between declaration /initialization of the boolean variable condi and the while condition test (// in beteween), condi cannot change since it is final.
So, condi is a compile time constant and always true, and the semikolon is unreacheable code.

If you delete the final keyword, the code compiles, as condi now could have changed its value // in between, which the compiler cannot know.
And if you use the boolean literal true in the while condition, as in your first example, this true is also a compile time constant.

You can test it by making the int-variable final in your second example.

Yours,
Bu.

Thanks all. So, can I safely conclude that all final variables are compile time constants? i.e they are assigned at compile time? and all non-final variables are not resolved at compile time?

[Allen]: So, can I safely conclude that all final variables are compile time constants? i.e they are assigned at compile time?

No, being final is necessary by not sufficient to be a compile-time constant. For a variable to be a compile-time constant (a constant variable):

it must be final

it must be a primitive type, or a String

it must be initalized (at declaration) using a compile-time constant expression

The rules for compile-time expressions are a bit complex - follow the link to get the precise rules. But basically it means constant variable, literal, or an expression combining other constant variables or literals. So if something "non-constant" occurs anywhere in the expression, the whole expression is not a constant.

[Allen]: and all non-final variables are not resolved at compile time?

That part is true.

boolean f = true;

do
{
System.out.println("True");
}
while (c==10);

System.out.println("False");

In the above case i dont get any unreachable code error ..

Sorry for the trouble guys .. got it ..