Abstract
Programmers often encounter cryptic compiler error messages that are difficult to understand and thus difficult to resolve. Unfortunately, most related disciplines, including compiler technology, have not paid much attention to this important aspect that affects programmers significantly, apparently because it is felt that programmers should adapt to compilers. In this article, however, this problem is studied from the perspective of the discipline of human-computer interaction to gain insight into why compiler errors messages make the work of programmers more difficult, and how this situation can be alleviated. Additionally, because poorly designed error messages affect novice programmers more adversely, the problems faced by computer science students while learning to program are analyzed, and the obstacles originated by compilers are identified. Examples of actual compiler error messages are provided and carefully commented. Finally, some possible measures that can be taken are outlined, and some principles for compiler error message design are included.
Highlights
One reason why high-quality software development is difficult lies in the nature of software itself [1]
Focusing on the coding task, high-level programming languages have been promoted as a means of closing the huge gap in the abstraction level that exists between machine language idiosyncrasies and human thinking and language
This section reviews related work, much of it comes from the fields of Psychology of Programming, and Computer Science Education, possibly because these areas are most aware of the cognitive complexity of computer programming [17, 18], and of how novice programmers suffer from it
Summary
Computer Languages and Systems Department, Campus Riu Sec, Jaume-I University, 12071 Castellon, Spain. Programmers often encounter cryptic compiler error messages that are difficult to understand and difficult to resolve. This problem is studied from the perspective of the discipline of human-computer interaction to gain insight into why compiler errors messages make the work of programmers more difficult, and how this situation can be alleviated. Because poorly designed error messages affect novice programmers more adversely, the problems faced by computer science students while learning to program are analyzed, and the obstacles originated by compilers are identified. Examples of actual compiler error messages are provided and carefully commented. Some possible measures that can be taken are outlined, and some principles for compiler error message design are included
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