Undefined variable: bug or feature?

As for me, everything works ok, so now it's just a support request.

// $Id: content.module,v 1.90.2.41 2007/06/13 00:34:26 yched Exp $
//...
function content_field($op, &$node, $field, &$node_field, $teaser, $page) {
// ... Line 361:
if ($field['multiple']) {
  $result = db_query($query .' ORDER BY delta'. $compl, $node->vid);
}
//...

'$compl' is uninitialized before and after this code execution.

Whereof? =-0