| Type | Bug | Status | dismissed | Date | 2-Jul-2013 22:51 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version | r3 master | Category | Error Handling | Submitted by | IngoHohmann |
| Platform | All | Severity | not a bug | Priority | normal |
| Summary | wrong error on load "1abcde" |
|---|---|
| Description |
LOADing a number followed by upto 4 characters returns an invalid integer error. With more than 4 characters invalid decimal is returned |
| Example code |
>> load "1abcd" ** Syntax error: invalid "integer" -- "1abcd" ** Where: to case load ** Near: (line 1) 1abcd >> load "1abcde" ** Syntax error: invalid "decimal" -- "1abcde" ** Where: to case load ** Near: (line 1) 1abcde |
| Assigned to | n/a | Fixed in | - | Last Update | 16-Jul-2013 13:45 |
|---|
| Comments | |
|---|---|
|
(0003876)
BrianH 3-Jul-2013 01:22 |
It's guessing you're trying to write a decimal because of the e, which it interprets as an attempt at scientific notation. It's an error either way, so it's not really a bug. |
|
(0003881)
IngoHohmann 4-Jul-2013 13:24 |
I find the difference between raised errors unintuitive, and they make it hard to use transcode/next/error
See this difference between "1km" and "1miles" >> transcode/next/error to binary! "1km" == [make error! [ code: 200 type: 'Syntax id: 'invalid arg1: "integer" arg2: "1km" arg3: none near: "(line 1) 1km" where: [transcode] ] #{}] >> transcode/next/error to binary! "1miles" == [make error! [ code: 200 type: 'Syntax id: 'invalid arg1: "decimal" arg2: "1miles" arg3: none near: "(line 1) 1miles" where: [transcode] ] #{}] Furthermore, the error may hint at a possible place for optimization. The moment, that a character other than "e" is found, it is clear that it is an error, so why check the following characters, wether there might be an "e"? |
|
(0003887)
BrianH 8-Jul-2013 18:57 |
TRANSCODE needs a lot of work (see #1327, #1857, #1915, #1916, and possibly #537, plus any syntax tickets), so we might want to adjust things. However, I don't think that you are right here. The errors triggered or returned by TRANSCODE are some of its most important features, and we need to make them as useful as possible.
Given that what you are trying to load is not correct, TRANSCODE can only apply some heuristics and guess that you were trying to do. Seeing whether there is an e there is a reasonable clue that you were failing to write a decimal, rather than failing to write an integer. TRANSCODE can't read your mind, it has to go by the evidence at hand to guess your intentions. Nonetheless, tweaking the heuristics (like in #537) might help us improve the errors triggered. |
|
(0003897)
Ladislav 16-Jul-2013 13:45 |
"The errors triggered or returned by TRANSCODE are some of its most important features, and we need to make them as useful as possible." - agreed.
However, Ingo is right that after finding out that there was an error it is a bad idea to parse additional characters from the input. Without a mind-reading module TRANSCODE cannot guess what the intent was. (might have been some kind of cut&paste error inserting some garbage) The most useful information for me would be a part of input found to be wrong by TRANSCODE. What it was meant to be is not useful since there is no way how to correctly determine that. |
| Date | User | Field | Action | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-Jul-2013 13:45 | Ladislav | Comment : 0003897 | Modified | - |
| 16-Jul-2013 13:45 | Ladislav | Comment : 0003897 | Added | - |
| 8-Jul-2013 18:57 | BrianH | Comment : 0003887 | Added | - |
| 4-Jul-2013 13:24 | IngoHohmann | Comment : 0003881 | Added | - |
| 3-Jul-2013 01:23 | BrianH | Description | Modified | - |
| 3-Jul-2013 01:23 | BrianH | Code | Modified | - |
| 3-Jul-2013 01:23 | BrianH | Severity | Modified | minor => not a bug |
| 3-Jul-2013 01:23 | BrianH | Status | Modified | submitted => dismissed |
| 3-Jul-2013 01:22 | BrianH | Comment : 0003876 | Added | - |
| 2-Jul-2013 22:51 | IngoHohmann | Ticket | Added | - |