[Issue 249] New: circular typedef and alias bugs

[Andrei Khropov]

Walter Bright wrote:

> Andrei Khropov wrote:
> > I don't see a controversy here. Look at Microsoft C++ compilers: they
> > display both an error ID and a sensible text message.
> 
> Displaying the ID pushes the useful part of the message off to the right
> where it wraps or you have to use the scroll bar.

Hmm, IMHO it's the matter of proper formatting.
It may look like:

-----------------------------------
test2.d(3): error E1234: circular reference of typedef bar
-----------------------------------
or 
-----------------------------------
test2.d(3): error E1234:
    circular reference of typedef bar
-----------------------------------

vs present

----------------------------------
test2.d(3): circular reference of typedef bar
----------------------------------

Anyway most people now have more horizonal space than 80 chars :) 

> 
> Message IDs are useful for:
> 
> 1) Memory is extremely tight, and you don't want to load the error messages
> into memory unless an actual error occurs.
> 
> 2) You store the messages as a Windows 'resource', which was done because of
> (1).

I agree that these are not important issues now.

> 
> 3) You want to be able to ship the message file off to someone else who can
> translate them to foreign languages, so the application can be
> internationalized without changing the executable.

This maybe an issue. I haven't ever seen localized compilers however.

> 
> 4) You're writing some automated error message parsing tool.

I think this point is important.
Message ID may also serve as a good pointer to documentation that explains the
issue in more detail (good IDE may actually turn it into a hyperlink).




--