dead code

dead code (uncountable)

1. (compilers) instructions that, when executed, have no effect on the running of the program.
   • 2006, William Von Hagen, The definitive guide to GCC:

     Much dead code elimination is actually done on intermediate representations of your code, which may contain unnecessary intermediate calculations […]

2. (programming) code that exists in the source, but will never be executed.

   Many software projects contain much dead code in the form of deprecated functions.

When discussing compilers, a set of instructions that will never be executed may be referred to as an "unreachable block".

• no-op

• dodecade