INFO: Misspelling "Default" Gives No Error (40593)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, 16-bit edition 1.0
  • Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, 16-bit edition 1.5
  • Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, 16-bit edition 1.51
  • Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, 16-bit edition 1.52
  • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions 1.0
  • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions 2.0
  • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions 2.1
  • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions 4.0
  • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions 6.0

This article was previously published under Q40593
It has been reported that when the keyword "default" is misspelled, the C/C++ compiler does not generate an error and the executable code does not execute the "defualt" branch in any case.

This is not a problem with the C/C++ compiler. In C and C++ any name followed by a colon (:) is a label. In a switch statement the case and default keywords are special types of label which are used by the switch statement. When the keyword "default" is spelled incorrectly, it is treated as a label. You could use a goto statement to reference the label. The switch statement, however, does not recognize it. Since a "default:" label is not required by the switch statement, no error is (or can be) generated.

NOTE: It is not good programming practice to jump to a label that is within a switch statement from outside the switch statement.

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/5/2005
Keywords:kbCompiler kbinfo KB40593