Numbering compiler error messages?

[monarch_dodra]

On Friday, 28 March 2014 at 09:04:00 UTC, Walter Bright wrote:
> On 3/28/2014 1:23 AM, Johannes Pfau wrote:
>> As an example how this could work, search for CS1002.
>> So do we want this?
>
> I've done this before. Short answer, it's a pain and doesn't 
> really help.
>
> Searching is easy, just type in the message that was displayed, 
> sans the variable part. I do it all the time.

I think we could maybe find a middle ground? Not every error 
needs numbering, but having the more common ones "named and 
tagged and explained" could always help?

I'm thinking things like:
- expression has no effect in...
- cannot default initialize...
- dangling else...
- empty if/for/while statement...

It would really benefit the newer users that hit the error, to 
have a direct link explaining how things work in regards to that.

It doesn't have to be a number. A simple (shortened) link to the 
wiki could also work. Or simply a formalized error name "Invalid 
default initialization Error: Custom error message here"

A good argument in favor of that is that *you* would merely add 
the link in the compiler, and the community could document and 
explain the error.

Well, I'm just throwing that out there.