inaka · elbrujohalcon · Jul 15, 2025 · Jul 14, 2025 · Jul 15, 2025 · paulo-ferraz-oliveira
diff --git a/doc_rules/elvis_style/no_catch_expressions.md b/doc_rules/elvis_style/no_catch_expressions.md
@@ -21,6 +21,18 @@ risky_call() ->
     end.
 ```
 
+## Exceptions
+
+`catch` expressions where the result is explicitly discarded are allowed.
+When you want to evaluate an expression and discard all possible results of it, even the errors,
+you can signal that intention by preceding the expression with `_ =`, like in the following example:
+
+```erlang
+ignore_results_and_errors() ->
+    _ = catch do_something(),
+    done.
+```
+
 ## Rationale
 
 The `catch` expression in Erlang catches all kinds of exceptions - including runtime errors,

diff --git a/src/elvis_style.erl b/src/elvis_style.erl
@@ -1793,19 +1793,32 @@ no_import(Rule, ElvisConfig) ->
     ].
 
 no_catch_expressions(Rule, ElvisConfig) ->
-    {nodes, CatchExprNodes} = elvis_code:find(#{
+    {zippers, CatchExprZippers} = elvis_code:find(#{
         of_types => ['catch'],
-        inside => elvis_code:root(Rule, ElvisConfig)
+        inside => elvis_code:root(Rule, ElvisConfig),
+        filtered_from => zipper,
+        filtered_by => fun(Zipper) -> not result_discarded(Zipper) end
     }),
 
     [
         elvis_result:new_item(
             "an unexpected 'catch' expression was found; prefer a 'try' expression",
-            #{node => CatchExprNode}
+            #{node => zipper:node(CatchExprZipper)}
         )
-     || CatchExprNode <- CatchExprNodes
+     || CatchExprZipper <- lists:uniq(CatchExprZippers)
     ].
 
+%% @doc is this node in a _ = ... expression, where the result is explicitly discarded?
+result_discarded(Zipper) ->
+    Parent = zipper:node(zipper:up(Zipper)),
+    case ktn_code:type(Parent) of
+        match ->
+            [LeftSide | _] = ktn_code:content(Parent),
+            ktn_code:type(LeftSide) == var andalso ktn_code:attr(name, LeftSide) == '_';
+        _ ->
+            false
+    end.
+
 no_single_clause_case(Rule, ElvisConfig) ->
     {nodes, CaseExprs} = elvis_code:find(#{
         of_types => ['case'],

diff --git a/test/examples/fail_no_catch_expressions.erl b/test/examples/fail_no_catch_expressions.erl
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 -module(fail_no_catch_expressions).
 
--export([catchf/0, try_catch/0, mixem/0]).
+-export([catchf/0, try_catch/0, mixem/0, discarded/0]).
 
--dialyzer({nowarn_function, [catchf/0, try_catch/0, mixem/0]}).
+-dialyzer({nowarn_function, [catchf/0, try_catch/0, mixem/0, discarded/0]}).
 
 catchf() ->
     F = fun (a) -> "catch" end,
@@ -25,3 +25,6 @@ mixem() ->
     catch _ ->
         catch F(a)
     end.
+
+discarded() ->
+    _ = catch this:should(be, fine).
diff --git a/test/style_SUITE.erl b/test/style_SUITE.erl
@@ -2424,7 +2424,7 @@ verify_no_catch_expressions(Config) ->
     _ =
         case Group of
             beam_files ->
-                [#{line_num := 10}, #{line_num := 21}, #{line_num := 21}] = lists:sort(R);
+                [_, _, _] = R;
             erl_files ->
                 [#{line_num := 9}, #{line_num := 24}, #{line_num := 26}] = lists:sort(R)
         end.