shellcheck doesn't warn that scripts can fail due to `set -e`

[filipopo]

Here's a snippet or screenshot that shows the problem:

#!/bin/bash
set -e

rosker() {
  local name="${1:-filip}"
  shift
  echo "$name"
}

Here's what shellcheck currently says:

No issues detected!

Here's what I wanted or expected to see:

A warning that if no arguments are passed to this function that shift will crash and a recommendation to change it to something like shift || true

[wileyhy]

Optionally, `[ "$#" -gt 1 ] & shift`

…

On Fri, Apr 10, 2026, 06:34 Filip ***@***.***> wrote: *filipopo* created an issue (koalaman/shellcheck#3444) <#3444> Here's a snippet or screenshot that shows the problem: #!/bin/bashset -e rosker() { local name="${1:-filip}" shift echo "$name" } Here's what shellcheck currently says: No issues detected! Here's what I wanted or expected to see: A warning that if no arguments are passed to this function that shift will crash and a recommendation to change it to something like shift || true — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#3444>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AUF2F23QR56IKRADGGCKXXD4VDZ7RAVCNFSM6AAAAACXT66M3CVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43ASLTON2WKOZUGIZTSNBZGM2DGNQ> . You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[e-kwsm]

POSIX shift:

If the n operand is invalid or is greater than "$#", this may be treated as an error and a non-interactive shell may exit; if the shell does not exit in this case, a non-zero exit status shall be returned and a warning message shall be written to standard error. Otherwise, zero shall be returned.

Actually, dash, and ksh and its variants exit on error:

$ dash -c 'shift; echo $?'
dash: 1: shift: can't shift that many

$ ksh -c 'shift; echo $?'
ksh: shift: (null): bad number
$ mksh -c 'shift; echo $?'
mksh: shift: nothing to shift
$ oksh -c 'shift; echo $?'
oksh: shift: nothing to shift

[wileyhy]

"Optionally, `[ "$#" -gt 1 ] & shift`" Should have been '&&' there, not '&'. My mistake.

…

On Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 14:01 Eisuke Kawashima ***@***.***> wrote: *e-kwsm* left a comment (koalaman/shellcheck#3444) <#3444 (comment)> POSIX shift <https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799/utilities/V3_chap02.html#tag_19_27_14> : If the *n* operand is invalid or is greater than "$#", this may be treated as an error and a non-interactive shell may exit; if the shell does not exit in this case, a non-zero exit status shall be returned and a warning message shall be written to standard error. Otherwise, zero shall be returned. Actually, dash, and ksh and its variants exit on error: $ dash -c 'shift; echo $?'dash: 1: shift: can't shift that many $ ksh -c 'shift; echo $?'ksh: shift: (null): bad number $ mksh -c 'shift; echo $?'mksh: shift: nothing to shift $ oksh -c 'shift; echo $?'oksh: shift: nothing to shift — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#3444 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AUF2F22BDYJLVD3QLBCREJL4WFCZTAVCNFSM6AAAAACXT66M3CVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DENRTGM4DINRXHE> . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>