The Message Window

When the Message window is active, you can scroll up and down through it highlighting one message at a time. As each message is highlighted, a highlight bar will also be moved about in the corresponding edit window. The highlight in the edit window gives a rough indication of where the compiler "thinks" the problem is located. Be wary of this: the compiler (like most computer programs) is not at all smart. The most you can rely on is that the problem, whatever it is, is either in the line highlighted by the compiler, or somewhere before it.

Be wary also of the actual text of the message. The compiler will do its best to diagnose the problem. It will try to give a meaningful description of it. But, it will often fail miserably at this! So treat the actual text of the message with some scepticism. A message always indicates that something is amiss with your program. But the actual problem will often be in a different place, and of a different kind, to that suggested by the compiler.

If you press the Enter key while the Message window is active, the IDE will automatically make the (relevant) edit window active, and position the cursor as near as possible to where it "thinks" the problem is. The text of the message will also be temporarily redisplayed in the bottom of the edit window. This text will disappear as soon as you move the cursor around in the edit window. You can make the Message window active again by clicking anywhere over it.

"Error" messages are more serious than "warning" messages. But at this stage in your education, you should consider all messages issued by the compiler as indicating problems.

Do not go past the compile stage until you have managed to get a completely "clean" compilation - with absolutely no error or warning messages. If you find that you simply cannot make any sense of some compiler message (after making a sincere effort!) then call the demonstrator for help.