Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:22:55 -0600 (CST) From: Robert Bonomi <bonomi@mail.r-bonomi.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, mnorwick@centurytel.net Subject: Re: Colorized compiler/linker messages Message-ID: <201101230422.p0N4MtRo026181@mail.r-bonomi.com> In-Reply-To: <4D3B8BD4.5010606@centurytel.net>
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> From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Sat Jan 22 20:10:21 2011
> Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:00:52 -0600
> From: "Michael D. Norwick" <mnorwick@centurytel.net>
> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
> Subject: Colorized compiler/linker messages
>
> Good Day,
>
> I have seen this for some time when building ports and was wondering how
> it was done. GCC when compiling and linking certain programs, ebook for
> example, emits messages in various colors. How is that done?
"Whatever it is" that is writing the messages is putting out 'terminal
control' character strings that specify the color.
> Where does
> one find what the various colors are supposed to signify?
Read the _complete_ documentation for 'whatever it is' that is producing
the messages. The colors signify 'whatever it is' that the author of that
software chose to represent with that color. There are *NO* "universal
standards" for such things.
> Or, is it just
> because it's more appealing?
(A) "appealing" is in the eye of the beholder.
(B) *why* 'somebody' did something/anything is known *only* to the party
that actually _did_ it. You can ether ask *them* or get uninformed
speculation from third parties.
In broad, diagsnotic messages can be divided into a minimum of 4 'classes'
(finer gradation is always possible):
diagnostic -- 'gory details' of what the program is doing internally, to
find out where what it is actually doing is different from what one
'expects' it to be doing.
informational -- things you might 'want to know about', but do not
indicate potentially incorrect operation.
warning -- things which *probably* indicate a problem, but might be
'as intended'
error -- something which is, without question, incorrect, and prevents
proper program operation.
A developer -might- use different colors for different 'classes' of messages,
so that an experienced user of that program (who 'knows' what color is used
for what) can tell 'at a glance' the serverity of the thing being reported.
[ see (B), above, as regards applicability to -your- situationn ]
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