Re: Why C/C++ errors are SO obscure/devious??
- From: "Mark B" <sober@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:15:16 GMT
"Massimo Soricetti" <massimo_main@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:IM%Qe.120733$fm.7885188@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Hello,
>
> I'm not a C newbie, but I'm teaching C programming (well... FIRST
> programming and then C) to other guys these days and it's driving me to
> some reflexions on the language.
> It's not uncommon to forget a } writing code,
Very uncommon... get your students in the habit of typing the closing
brace immediately after typing the opening brace... then fill in the middle.
> and at compiling time get an error 18956778 lines after the mistake
Your functions are too long ;-)
> in an otherwise absolutely correct piece of code. Or, sometimes in my
> journeys I got errors reported in a file, checked and found it correct,
> and discovered it was caused by an error in another file. And in general,
> I noted that many, if not all, error messages from the compiler are VERY
> short and cryptic, while a couple of words more could sometimes help a lot
> in understanding what's wrong and where, for newbies. Well, not only for
> them... maybe a compiler switch --NOOB_ERR_MSGS could be very handy for
> some people :o)
>
> Why can't a compiler give more accurate informations about errors?
> Shouldn't this save time, stress and money?
What is your question relating to the C standard? (which is the topic of
this newsgroup)
> Another example: have you ever met the error line "Multiple definitions
> of..."?
Nope.
> For example, why can't a compiler start a negotiation "on the fly" like
> this:
>
> ERROR: Multiple definitions of <variable|function|method> X.
> X defined:
> 1) <here1> as variable
> <line of code definition...>
> 2) <here2> as variable
> <line of code definition...>
> 3) <here3> as function
> <line of code definition...>
> Choose which definition is the right one:
>
> This is "interactive compiling", isn't it? Why not? Why the compiler can't
> simply ask us, in doubt, and on response modify sources accordingly on its
> own, in this case and in other similar? This would ease the programming
> effort a lot.
>
> What are your opinions on this matter?
I don't want the compiler modifying my sources on it's own!
I'd prefer to see students taught by competent teachers...
That would ease the programming effor a lot! :-)
Mark
.
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