Re: [DotGNU]Proposal for XML based error reporting

[Rhys Weatherley]

On Tuesday 18 February 2003 08:07 pm, James Michael DuPont wrote:

> This will include :
> 1. Filenames as attributes
> <error file=./blah.cs line=45 col=32><!--content--></error>
>
> [etc]

A simple perl or awk script will turn the current error output into this 
format if you really want it.  There is no need to modify the compiler.

I've always been against the idea of XML error reporting because as far as I 
can tell, you are the only person in the entire universe who would use it (no 
one else has ever requested it).  This is partly why I rejected your previous 
XML error patch many months ago.  It made the compiler unusable to normal 
users, purely for your own benefit.

I agree that the errors messages need to be better at describing the true 
source of a problem.  But XML won't magically do that.  Modifying the error 
messages to be more descriptive will, as long as they remain readable to 
humans.

I may entertain a patch, but only if (a) it is turned *off* by default, (b) it 
does not break any test cases in "cscctest", and (c) it involves the minimum 
change necessary to the code (in cc_errors.c, but not in a million places all 
over the shop).

Besides, the GNU standard for errors is "filename:line[:col]: message".  A lot 
of tools depend upon that behaviour.  Breaking it is not recommended.

Cheers,

Rhys.