compiler diagnostics [was Re: comp.unix.xenix]

[J.T. Conklin]

>This isn't a flame on verbose error messages.  But rather a plea to
>make them |just good enuf| for me to figure out the bug, and then
>spend the rest of the time on more important things.  For example,
>I would much rather have the "inifinite spill" bug fixed rather than
>a more verbose diagnostic saying more precicely where it is...

It seems I flamed Microsoft's diagnostics a bit more harshly than
I had intended.  They are more than adequate 95% of the time.  The
linker's diagnostics are a bit worse, but still passable.

Here are a number of things that bother me about the current
development system -- They all have precidence over verbose
error messages.

	* Fix code generation errors/compiler bugs

	  It took me two days to track down a code generation error
	  last week.  Arggh...  You've allready mentioned the infinate
	  spill bug.

	* Generate assembly output acceptable as input to the assmbler

	  "-S ... It should be noted that this file is not suitable for
	      assembly.  This option provides code for reading only."

	* Eliminate hard-coded limits.

	  * yacc's and lex's tables should should resize themselves
	    automatically.

	  * linker should allocate segments automatically.

	  * enlarge compiler's 32 character identifier limit.

	* Fix compiler such that "cc -E" and "/lib/cpp" produce the
	  same output.

	* Fix lint. 

	* Improve dubugger support.

	* Improve optimization.
	  
	  * function inlining?

	  * global register optimization?

    --jtc


-- 
J.T. Conklin
	...!{uunet,ubc-cs}!van-bc!jtc, jtc at wimsey.bc.ca