When I compile C++ code with Visual C++ 9 with "warning level 4" the following:
while( true ) {
//loop body with break on certain condition
}
and the following:
for( ; true; ) {
//same loop body
}
both trigger C4127: conditional expression is constant warning but the following:
for( ; ; ) {
//same loop body
}
compiles without warning.
Why this difference, especially between the second and the third variant?
The reason is simple, though stupid.
It is important to diagnose infinite loop, but such might not be evident:
while(i >= 0) { --i; } // infinite if i unsigned
while(SOME_MACRO(i)) // err, depends on the expansion of macros
It is a great feature of a compiler to produce a warning for a tautological test, that is a test that turns out to be either always true or always false, because it's not obvious when it comes from a macro expansion or within a dependent context.
It just seems that VC++ pushed a bit too far here, and instead of considering tautological conditions warns for all true or false conditions it can find, even when they are already clearly stated in the code.