ERROR(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual ERROR(1)
error - analyze and disperse compiler error messages
S
\bSY
\bYN
\bNO
\bOP
\bPS
\bSI
\bIS
\bS
e
\ber
\brr
\bro
\bor
\br [ -
\b-n
\bn ] [ -
\b-s
\bs ] [ -
\b-q
\bq ] [ -
\b-v
\bv ] [ -
\b-t
\bt suffixlist ] [ -
\b-I
\bI
D
\bDE
\bES
\bSC
\bCR
\bRI
\bIP
\bPT
\bTI
\bIO
\bON
\bN
_
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br analyzes and optionally disperses the diagnostic error
messages produced by a number of compilers and language pro-
cessors to the source file and line where the errors
occurred. It can replace the painful, traditional methods
of scribbling abbreviations of errors on paper, and permits
error messages and source code to be viewed simultaneously
without machinations of multiple windows in a screen editor.
_
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br looks at the error messages, either from the specified
file _
\bn_
\ba_
\bm_
\be or from the standard input, and attempts to deter-
mine which language processor produced each error message,
determines the source file and line number to which the
error message refers, determines if the error message is to
be ignored or not, and inserts the (possibly slightly modi-
fied) error message into the source file as a comment on the
line preceding to which the line the error message refers.
Error messages which can't be categorized by language pro-
cessor or content are not inserted into any file, but are
sent to the standard output. _
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br touches source files
only after all input has been read. By specifying the -
\b-q
\bq
query option, the user is asked to confirm any potentially
dangerous (such as touching a file) or verbose action. Oth-
erwise _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br proceeds on its merry business. If the -
\b-t
\bt
touch option and associated suffix list is given, _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br will
restrict itself to touch only those files with suffices in
the suffix list. Error also can be asked (by specifying -
\b-v
\bv)
\b)
to invoke _
\bv_
\bi(1) on the files in which error messages were
inserted; this obviates the need to remember the names of
_
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br is intended to be run with its standard input con-
nected via a pipe to the error message source. Some
language processors put error messages on their standard
error file; others put their messages on the standard out-
put. Hence, both error sources should be piped together
into _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br. For example, when using the _
\bc_
\bs_
\bh syntax,
make -s lint |& error -q -v
will analyze all the error messages produced by whatever
programs _
\bm_
\ba_
\bk_
\be runs when making lint.
_
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br knows about the error messages produced by: _
\bm_
\ba_
\bk_
\be, _
\bc_
\bc,
_
\bc_
\bp_
\bp, _
\bc_
\bc_
\bo_
\bm, _
\ba_
\bs, _
\bl_
\bd, _
\bl_
\bi_
\bn_
\bt, _
\bp_
\bi, _
\bp_
\bc, _
\bf_
\b7_
\b7, and _
\bD_
\bE_
\bC _
\bW_
\be_
\bs_
\bt_
\be_
\br_
\bn
Printed 7/9/88 May 5, 1986 1
ERROR(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual ERROR(1)
_
\bR_
\be_
\bs_
\be_
\ba_
\br_
\bc_
\bh _
\bM_
\bo_
\bd_
\bu_
\bl_
\ba-_
\b2. _
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br knows a standard format for error
messages produced by the language processors, so is sensi-
tive to changes in these formats. For all languages except
_
\bP_
\ba_
\bs_
\bc_
\ba_
\bl, error messages are restricted to be on one line.
Some error messages refer to more than one line in more than
one files; _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br will duplicate the error message and insert
it at all of the places referenced.
_
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br will do one of six things with error messages.
_
\bs_
\by_
\bn_
\bc_
\bh_
\br_
\bo_
\bn_
\bi_
\bz_
\be
Some language processors produce short errors
describing which file it is processing. _
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br
uses these to determine the file name for
languages that don't include the file name in each
error message. These synchronization messages are
consumed entirely by _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br.
_
\bd_
\bi_
\bs_
\bc_
\ba_
\br_
\bd Error messages from _
\bl_
\bi_
\bn_
\bt that refer to one of the
two _
\bl_
\bi_
\bn_
\bt libraries, /_
\bu_
\bs_
\br/_
\bl_
\bi_
\bb/_
\bl_
\bl_
\bi_
\bb-_
\bl_
\bc and
/_
\bu_
\bs_
\br/_
\bl_
\bi_
\bb/_
\bl_
\bl_
\bi_
\bb-_
\bp_
\bo_
\br_
\bt are discarded, to prevent
accidently touching these libraries. Again, these
error messages are consumed entirely by _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br.
_
\bn_
\bu_
\bl_
\bl_
\bi_
\bf_
\by Error messages from _
\bl_
\bi_
\bn_
\bt can be nullified if they
refer to a specific function, which is known to
generate diagnostics which are not interesting.
Nullified error messages are not inserted into the
source file, but are written to the standard out-
put. The names of functions to ignore are taken
from either the file named ._
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br_
\br_
\bc in the users's
home directory, or from the file named by the -
\b-I
\bI
option. If the file does not exist, no error mes-
sages are nullified. If the file does exist,
there must be one function name per line.
_
\bn_
\bo_
\bt _
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be _
\bs_
\bp_
\be_
\bc_
\bi_
\bf_
\bi_
\bc
Error messages that can't be intuited are grouped
together, and written to the standard output
before any files are touched. They will not be
inserted into any source file.
_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be _
\bs_
\bp_
\be_
\bc_
\bi_
\bf_
\bi_
\bc
Error message that refer to a specific file, but
to no specific line, are written to the standard
output when that file is touched.
_
\bt_
\br_
\bu_
\be _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br_
\bs
Error messages that can be intuited are candidates
for insertion into the file to which they refer.
Printed 7/9/88 May 5, 1986 2
ERROR(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual ERROR(1)
Only true error messages are candidates for inserting into
the file they refer to. Other error messages are consumed
entirely by _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br or are written to the standard output.
_
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br inserts the error messages into the source file on the
line preceding the line the language processor found in
error. Each error message is turned into a one line comment
for the language, and is internally flagged with the string
``###'' at the beginning of the error, and ``%%%'' at the
end of the error. This makes pattern searching for errors
easier with an editor, and allows the messages to be easily
removed. In addition, each error message contains the
source line number for the line the message refers to. A
reasonably formatted source program can be recompiled with
the error messages still in it, without having the error
messages themselves cause future errors. For poorly format-
ted source programs in free format languages, such as C or
Pascal, it is possible to insert a comment into another com-
ment, which can wreak havoc with a future compilation. To
avoid this, programs with comments and source on the same
line should be formatted so that language statements appear
Options available with _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br are:
-
\b-n
\bn Do _
\bn_
\bo_
\bt touch any files; all error messages are sent to
-
\b-q
\bq The user is _
\bq_
\bu_
\be_
\br_
\bi_
\be_
\bd whether s/he wants to touch the
file. A ``y'' or ``n'' to the question is necessary to
continue. Absence of the -
\b-q
\bq option implies that all
referenced files (except those referring to discarded
error messages) are to be touched.
-
\b-v
\bv After all files have been touched, overlay the visual
editor _
\bv_
\bi with it set up to edit all files touched, and
positioned in the first touched file at the first
error. If _
\bv_
\bi can't be found, try _
\be_
\bx or _
\be_
\bd from stan-
-
\b-t
\bt Take the following argument as a suffix list. Files
whose suffixes do not appear in the suffix list are not
touched. The suffix list is dot separated, and ``*''
wildcards work. Thus the suffix list:
allows _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br to touch files ending with ``.c'', ``.y'',
-
\b-s
\bs Print out _
\bs_
\bt_
\ba_
\bt_
\bi_
\bs_
\bt_
\bi_
\bc_
\bs regarding the error categoriza-
Printed 7/9/88 May 5, 1986 3
ERROR(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual ERROR(1)
_
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br catches interrupt and terminate signals, and if in the
insertion phase, will orderly terminate what it is doing.
~/.errorrc function names to ignore for _
\bl_
\bi_
\bn_
\bt error
Opens the teletype directly to do user querying.
Source files with links make a new copy of the file with
Changing a language processor's format of error messages may
cause _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br to not understand the error message.
_
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br, since it is purely mechanical, will not filter out
subsequent errors caused by `floodgating' initiated by one
syntactically trivial error. Humans are still much better
at discarding these related errors.
Pascal error messages belong after the lines affected (error
puts them before). The alignment of the `|' marking the
point of error is also disturbed by _
\be_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br.
_
\bE_
\br_
\br_
\bo_
\br was designed for work on CRT's at reasonably high
speed. It is less pleasant on slow speed terminals, and has
never been used on hardcopy terminals.
Printed 7/9/88 May 5, 1986 4
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