[Python-Dev] Better SyntaxError messages

[Michael Hudson]

On Wed, 5 Jul 2000, Vladimir Marangozov wrote:

> Greg Wilson wrote:
> > 
> > > On Wed, 5 Jul 2000, Vladimir Marangozov wrote:
> > > I'd remove the word "here" so that the error msg is self-contained.
> > > "expected indent" & "expected dedent" are fine.
> > 
> > I just did a poll --- only 2 out of 5 programmers in my shouting radius
> > know what "dedent" means.  Is there a more accessible way to phrase the
> > error message?
> 
> Good point.
> 
> Here's another suggestion:
> 
> "expected indent" -> "missing expected indentation"

+0 - doesn't really change much does it?

> "expected dedent" -> "missing expected closing indentation"

Eugh.  How about "expected decrease in indentation"?  Though I think
dedent (or mabye outdent) is pretty obvious in context.

Also "decrease in indentation does not match any outer level"
is a pretty hefty error message.

Still, these things are so much better than the status quo that I'm about
+1e8 on the general idea...

Cheers,
Michael