== Why is this an issue?

Recursion happens when control enters a loop that has no exit. This can happen when a method invokes itself or when a pair of methods invoke each other. It can be a useful tool, but unless the method includes a provision to break out of the recursion and ``++return++``, the recursion will continue until the stack overflows and the program crashes.

=== Noncompliant code example

[source,python]
----
def my_pow(num, exponent):  # Noncompliant
    num = num * my_pow(num, exponent - 1)
    return num  # this is never reached
----

=== Compliant solution

[source,python]
----
def my_pow(num, exponent):  # Compliant
    if exponent > 1:
      num = num * my_pow(num, exponent - 1)
    return num
----
ifdef::env-github,rspecator-view[]

'''
== Implementation Specification
(visible only on this page)

include::../message.adoc[]

'''
== Comments And Links
(visible only on this page)

include::../comments-and-links.adoc[]

endif::env-github,rspecator-view[]