ai-slop/unreachable-code manual fix

Unreachable code.

Code after a `return`, `throw`, `break`, or `continue` that can never execute.

Bad — what an agent ships

function getStatus(order: Order): string {
  if (order.cancelled) {
    return 'cancelled'
    log.info('cancelled order seen') // never runs
  }
  return order.status
}

Good — what aislop hands back

function getStatus(order: Order): string {
  if (order.cancelled) {
    log.info('cancelled order seen', { id: order.id })
    return 'cancelled'
  }
  return order.status
}

Why an AI agent produces this

When agents refactor control flow they sometimes leave statements stranded after a return. The code looks like it does something; it does nothing.

Provenance

How this rule is justified.

Rule id

ai-slop/unreachable-code

Enforcing engine

ai-slop

Detector strategy

Deterministic control-flow analysis: flags statements following an unconditional terminator in the same block.

Legitimate code that is NOT flagged

Code after a conditional return, and statements reachable through any branch, are not flagged.

Evidence

Provenance: repeated across public scans as a control-flow refactor artifact.

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