Numbering compiler error messages?

[Walter Bright]

On 3/28/2014 1:32 PM, Brad Anderson wrote:
> I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on that point. I've found VC++
> error numbers invaluable whenever I confront a confusing error. There are often
> examples of what cause the error and how to fix it.

And why doesn't grepping on the text of the error message work?

BTW, I often encounter perplexing messages from Linux, and I just plug the text 
into google.