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This noncompliant code example might appear safe even if the putc() macro evaluates its stream argument multiple times, as the ternary conditional expression ostensibly prevents multiple calls to fopen(). However, the assignment to fptr and the evaluation of fptr as the controlling expression of the ternary conditional expression can take place between the same sequence points, resulting in undefined behavior 34 (a violation of EXP30-C. Do not depend on the order of evaluation for side effects). This code also violates ERR33-C. Detect and handle standard library errors because it fails to check the return value from fopen().

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Using an expression that has side effects as the stream argument to getc(), putc(), or getwc() can result in unexpected behavior and abnormal program termination.

Automated Detection

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