Are bugs correlated to compiler warnings ?

[Robert William Fuller]

David Kirkby wrote:
> It seems a natural assumption to me that software that generates lots
> of compiler warnings from gcc is likely to be more buggy than software
> which does not. My 'gut feeling' is that if a developer has taken the
> trouble to write code that does not generate compiler warnings, he has
> probably taken care of other parts of his software too.
> 
> But is anyone aware of any published literature proving this fact? We
> might all suspect/guess it's true, but that is not proof.
> 
> I found this article:
> 
> http://www.springerlink.com/content/317x276846767585/
> 
> "Empirical analysis on the correlation between GCC compiler warnings
> and revision numbers of source files in five industrial software
> projects"
> 
> I can't actually read it without paying, but part of the abstract says
> "We use such correlation to conclude that compiler warnings may be
> used as an indicator for the presence of software defects in source
> code. "

I think it is worth noting that correlation does not equal causation.
Perhaps compiler warnings are a symptom of lack of attention to detail.
 That fits with your premise that a lack of warnings may signify that
the developer has been more thorough.  However, I think we should keep
in mind that this is all in the realm of conjecture.