Integrated code formatter

[H. S. Teoh]

On Tue, Jan 18, 2022 at 03:32:14PM +0000, bachmeier via Digitalmars-d wrote:
> On Tuesday, 18 January 2022 at 12:58:17 UTC, Adam D Ruppe wrote:
> > On Tuesday, 18 January 2022 at 09:21:11 UTC, Walter Bright wrote:
> > > For example, not too long ago, there were some major frustrations
> > > posted about the compiler's bad error messages. No examples were
> > > given, and no bugzilla entries had been posted. There's nothing
> > > anyone who wants to help can do about that.
> > 
> > If you actually used D for any real work, you wouldn't need a
> > bugzilla issue to know the error messages are really bad.
> 
> I'm inclined to say there's a lower standard for error messages if
> you're the one that wrote the compiler.

It's the familiarity syndrome.  If you're the one who wrote the
compiler, you already have a deep understanding of how it works
internally, and that understanding colors your perception of the error
mesage.  However, someone who *didn't* write the compiler has no idea
where the compiler is coming from, so to speak, and so what's obvious to
you may be completely opaque to him.

Familiarity also biases you, so that you fail to see flaws that are
obvious to everyone else, because you have been acclimatized to expect
certain things and unconsciously assume they are there even when they're
actually missing.  Just like how spectators to a chess game often notice
things that the heavily-invested players may miss, because they're too
focused on seeing the game from one particular viewpoint and thus may
neglect some other aspect.


T

-- 
Never trust an operating system you don't have source for! -- Martin Schulze