warnings which don't help user to undesrtand where the problem is

[Ben Abbott]

On Jan 3, 2009, at 9:54 PM, Sergei Steshenko wrote:

> --- On Sat, 1/3/09, Ben Abbott <bpabbott at mac.com> wrote:
>
>> From: Ben Abbott <bpabbott at mac.com>
>> Subject: Re: warnings which don't help user to undesrtand where the  
>> problem is
>> To: sergstesh at yahoo.com
>> Cc: bug-octave at octave.org
>> Date: Saturday, January 3, 2009, 5:57 PM
>> On Jan 3, 2009, at 8:19 PM, Sergei Steshenko wrote:
>>
>>> Hello All,
>>>
>>> running a script of mine I've seen these warnings:
>>>
>>> warning: range error for conversion to character value
>>> warning: implicit conversion from scalar to string
>>>
>>> .
>>>
>>> I'd expect at least function name (either in
>> 'octave' or in C++) of the
>>> function emitting such warnings.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Sergei.
>>
>> Sergei,
>>
>> Can you reproduce the problem with a simple example?
>>
>> As it is, the text for the first error exists in several
>> places.
>>
>> ov-float.cc
>> ov-flt-re-mat.cc
>> ov-re-mat.cc
>> ov-scalar.cc
>> ov-base-int.cc
>> ov-re-sparse.cc
>>
>> Regarding the text for the second warning, I can't find
>> it in any of the sources.
>>
>> Ben
>
> sprintf("%s", 1)
> warning: implicit conversion from scalar to string
>
> ;
> I am not sure what caused the first warning - I have already fixed the
> script.
>
> All the functions that "do not introduce themselves" should be fixed
> regardless of present text of warnings.
>
> Thanks,
>  Sergei.

I agree. I'm often frustrated looking for where an error or warning  
occurred.

Any chance you might be interested in contributing by searching the  
sources for such things and adding context to the warning/error  
messages?

 From an architectural perspective my role in with octave is  
meaningless. Instead I focus on tying up such loose ends.  
Surprisingly, and to my benefit as I enjoy it, there are sufficient  
"loose ends" to keep me and many more occupied for a long time.

If you are inclined, you attention to detail would be greatly  
beneficial to the development of Octave.

Ben