# '\_ = some\_function\_call' necessary?

**URL:** <https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/some-function-call-necessary/47814>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** coding-standards\
**Created:** [May 18, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/some-function-call-necessary/47814 "2022-05-18T14:17:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alanj853](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/alanj853/32/35809_2.png) [@alanj853](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/alanj853)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/some-function-call-necessary/47814/1 "2022-05-18T14:17:40Z")

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Hi,

I have come across some elixir repos recently and have noticed “\_ = \<some\_function\>” getting used in the code. For example

```elixir
_ = File.read("some_path")

```

Is this a convention? I have heard some people say it denotes that we are aware of a return value of a function, but are signifying that we don’t care about it. But I would have thought that just calling the function with no LHS assignment would have been enough for that.

Am I correct in saying this is unnecessary, or is there in fact some meaning to it that I am unaware of.

Thanks!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LostKobrakai](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/lostkobrakai/32/3072_2.png) [@LostKobrakai](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/LostKobrakai)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/some-function-call-necessary/47814/2 "2022-05-18T14:32:58Z")

</div>

There’s a dialyzer setting to warn on unused return values and sometimes not handling a return value can be a source for bugs. It might be unnecessary, but still has usefulness beyond the raw functionality of the code.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marcandre](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/marcandre/32/31790_2.png) [@marcandre](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/marcandre)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/some-function-call-necessary/47814/3 "2022-05-19T15:19:29Z")

</div>

`_content = File.read(...)` would be much clearer imo.