November 18

Summary of Progress (November 11 – November 17)

This week, I focused on refining error handling, working on global implementations, and addressing a few key issues reported in the DMD compiler.

What I Worked On

Key PRs:

  1. fix Bugzilla 24745 - improve associative array syntax error message #16832

    • Improved syntax error messages for associative arrays, making them clearer and more user-friendly.
  2. fix Bugzilla 24353 - add mutability check for foreach with opApply #17071

    • Added a mutability check for foreach loops using opApply.
    • Feedback received highlighted that this bug can result from any qualifier mismatch, which can occur on the opApply method, the foreach variable, or both. Addressing only const on the foreach variable fixes the specific example but leaves the broader issue unresolved. I plan to address this underlying problem comprehensively after completing work on verrors=context.

Learning and Implementation:

  • Worked on enabling verrors=context globally to enhance error visualization.
    • Verified no segmentation faults or other issues occur when applied globally.
    • Observed outputs can be found here:
    • Studied the original implementation of squiggles and carets from this 2018 commit. It was surprising that no one implemented it globally since then, motivating me to take on this task.

Next Steps:

  • Work on the global implementation of verrors=context.
  • Address feedback for Bugzilla 24353 by extending mutability checks to the general opApply method.
  • Continue refining error messages for a better user experience.