Products · Pattern or everyday thing
Compilers
Raised as a usability problem by 9 people on Hacker News over 15 years (2011–2025), in 9 threads.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads in the last 5 years.
Every issue, all time, most people first
Cryptic compiler errors don't show what failed or how to fixUnreviewed
20112026- Information about building compilers is dense, cryptic and hard to get2025-11-25
- Only the first compile error is reliable; later errors may be misleading2021-09-05
- Cryptic compiler error messages that don't show what failed or how to fix it2021-04-24
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 9 complaints
- Information about building compilers is dense, cryptic and hard to get2025-11-25
- Waiting even seconds for compiling breaks focus and loses mental context2022-08-09
- Only the first compile error is reliable; later errors may be misleading2021-09-05
- Optimized code runs differently from source, and debuggers and tooling don't show it2021-07-11
- Cryptic compiler error messages that don't show what failed or how to fix it2021-04-24
- Long waits of up to 45 seconds after each small code change break focus2020-02-02
- Error output is harsh, overwhelming, and makes people feel bad when code fails2019-04-14
- Slow compiles of about five seconds push the user into procrastinating online2016-10-18
- Early compiler error messages were cryptic, forcing trial and error to figure out problems2011-03-23