Re: [Top 10] compile: Suspicious line. Save anyway? [runs anyway]

[Dan Jacobson]

>>>>> "Kevin" == Kevin Rodgers <kevinr@ihs.com> writes:

Kevin> Dan Jacobson wrote:
>> If you put a TAB at the end of a makefile, M-x compile will ask
>> Suspicious line 4. Save anyway (y or n)
>> well of course the user will answer n do he can check and correct
>> whatever Suspicious thing is going on.
>> 
>> So he answers n... Oh, but the compile command then blunders on do a
>> make with an unsaved or old makefile...

Kevin> Answering `n' simply means "Don't save the file (but proceed)."  
Answering
Kevin> `C-g' will abort the compile as well, just as it aborts any other 
command.

OK,
Submit lifetime biggest job application to president? y
Suspicious line 4. Save anyway (y or n)

well... you are a careful user, you are given two choices, y or n.
You have been informed that there is a problem.  Obviously one should
not proceed if there is a problem.  So the best choice of those given
is "n",  which in this case will result in who knows what old version
or "blank" being sent to the president, ruining your reputation as a
precise person.  Sure you wondered hmmm, "n might still run the
compilation anyway, but they wouldn't do that to me, would
they... well, considering that's all the choices given, I'm sure they
have my safety in mind".

If one were to go beyond the safe choice selection, supposing one were
a seasoned emacs person and knew for certain that C-g was the right
thing to do here, well, ok.  But even one with some emacs experience
might worry that indeed C-g might "kill safety check B, then directly
entering process C".

Maybe better would be:
Suspicious line 4. Save anyway (y, n, q, ?)

I mean you are really getting close to typical RISKS digest material
here [actually far beyond] ... I mean even seasoned bozo programmer me
fell for this.

I mean this isn't a simple "confirm favorite astrosign, y or n?" this
is the start of a make(1) process potentially doing 1000 other
processes.

Wait:
Commence radiation exposure? y
Patient focus position file format problem, save anyway (y or n)

And gee, who edits a Makefile, only to be happy to run a make with the
old version instead of going back first to fix a TAB in the new version.

I use make in M-x compile to do everything, if I was a doctor I would
have it control the beam... 

If you don't ask
"Patient focus position file not saved, radiate patient anyway?"
and just go ahead, especially when dealing with junior operators, who
is to blame?  You.

Anyway, alls you gots to do is
Suspicious line 4. Save anyway (y, n, q, ?)
with ? giving a clear explanation of the consequences of each action.
As far as C-g, I'd say leave it hanging on the wall for emergency use
only, I mean there might be a higher level process that is calling M-x
compile and you might not want to halt it too... so add q and ? choices.
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