[metadata]
id = "MSC13-C"
type = "recommendation"
category = "MSC"
number = 13
title = "Detect and remove unused values"
description = """
Assignments to variables that are never subsequently read constitute dead stores.
Dead stores waste computation and indicate potential logic errors where the
programmer intended to use the variable but forgot. This includes local variables
that are initialized but never read, and values that are assigned but overwritten
before being used.
"""
severity = "Low"
likelihood = "Unlikely"
priority = "P2"
level = "L3"
cert_version = "2016 Edition (Wiki)"
last_modified = "Apr 01, 2026"
[rules.cert_c.MSC13-C]
enabled = true
[references]
wiki = "https://wiki.sei.cmu.edu/confluence/display/c/MSC13-C.+Detect+and+remove+unused+values"
cwe = ["CWE-563"]