Really crummy error messages, was Re: Ada files now checked in

[Phil Edwards <pedwards at disaster dot jaj dot com>]

On Sun, Oct 07, 2001 at 04:19:16PM +0200, Gabriel Dos Reis wrote:
> dewar@gnat.com writes:
> 
> | j.adb:3:04: "xyz" is undefined
> | 
> | compared to the c message
> | 
> | j.c:1: `asdf' undeclared (first use this function)
> 
> For a non-native English speaker like me, I have always questioned
> myself why the latter choice (which I find odd and difficult to read)
> is current practice and not the former.  FWIW, I would suggest that we
> switch to Robert's suggestion.

Even native English speakers, like me, get confused, and here's why:

For "first use this function" to be a correct English sentence [fragment],
there is only one possible parse, and it's not what is intended.  "First use
this function" is an /imperative/ with "use" as a verb (pronounced with a 'z'
sound), and always leaves new users wondering, "first use /which/ function?"

But GCC wants "use" to be a noun, pronounced with an 's' sound.  What we
really want to say is any of:

    j.c:1: `asdf' undeclared (first use in this function)
    j.c:1: `asdf' undeclared (first time used in this function)
    j.c:1: `asdf' undeclared (first occurrence in this function)

(Although maybe "is undeclared" would be better for C than "is undefined.")

Please, let's fix this.


Phil

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