[previous] 0545 [next] [U] The value of an incomplete 'struct' may not be used.
Explicitly undefined REFERENCE - ISO:C90-6.2.2.1 lvalues

An attempt has been made to use the value of a struct of incomplete type. This is not allowed and the result will be undefined.

It is sometimes useful to define a pointer to an incomplete struct type. But any attempt to dereference such a pointer will generate message 0545.

For example: 


/*PRQA S 506,2017,3408,3447,3617 ++*/

extern struct ST *pst1;          /* Message 3313 */
extern struct ST *pst2;

extern void foo(void)
{
    *pst1 = *pst2;               /* Message 0545 */

    pst1 = pst2;                 /* OK           */
}

MISRA-C:2004 Rules applicable to message 0545:

Rule  1.2  (Required) No reliance shall be placed on undefined or unspecified behaviour.
Rule  18.1  (Required) All structure and union types shall be complete at the end of a translation unit.

See also:

QA·C Source Code Analyser 8.1
MISRA-C:2004 Compliance Module 3.2
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