[Bug libstdc++/15910] can't compile self defined void distance(std::vector<T>, std::vector<T>)

["adah at netstd dot com" <gcc-bugzilla at gcc dot gnu dot org>]

------- Additional Comments From adah at netstd dot com  2005-08-10 03:11 -------
(In reply to comment #71)
> Subject: Re:  can't compile self defined void distance(std::vector<T>, 
std::vector<T>)
> On Aug 9, 2005, at 10:41 PM, adah at netstd dot com wrote:
> >
> > Passing this information to the user is difficult, unless GCC emits a
> > diagnostic message to help users do so, as GCC is currently doing on 
> > the
> > missing of `typename'.
> even then as I said before when it comes down to it, nobody reads those
> messages as they think their code is correct.
> See my example when sequence points, we do warn about it in 4.0.0 and 
> above
> (for C++; for C, we have warned since at least 3.0.4) and people still 
> file bugs.
> Another example of where people don't read is the changes page, which 
> describes
> changes to the compiler which could hinder (or benefit) them.  One 
> example is
> the change in the namelookup for templates to be more towards the 
> standard.  That
> example shows that we still get bug reports so even with a better error 
> message,
> people will have something to complain about.
> -- Pinski

It is regretful that many people cannot read.  But many people *can* read.  
Converting from GCC 2 to GCC 3 made my code much more conformant to the C++ 
standard, owing to the messages like that of `typename'.  And the messages 
emitted by a compiler are read more often than something in a doc page.

The main problem of the current error message is that it even mentions nothing 
about std::distance.  So even an experienced programmer can have difficulty 
finding out the problem if he does not know std::distance and has not 
encountered the problem before.  Not to say understand the problem.  As the 
very beginning, adding a message like `In instantiation of std::distance...' 
will be helpful.

Yongwei


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http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=15910