Cryptic error message(s)

From: "Alan E. Davis" <lngndvs@gmail.com>
To: org-mode <emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>
Subject: Cryptic error message(s)
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:31:01 +1000	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <AANLkTi=FcmxJ03_-yt+6LCim4SeKNf5rXz-eQmWG1j6b@mail.gmail.com> (raw)

[-- Attachment #1.1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1676 bytes --]

I have stumbled over error messages in org mode a few times.  The following
message, or permutations thereof, comes up frequently, but each time I am
confused about what it means (albeit I have solved it again today):

  "The kill is not a (set of) tree(s) - please use <S-insertchar> to yank
anyway".

In each case this message was received because of a nit, in creating a
capture template.  Each time, I am consternated for a while, before I
realize this.  And each time, I am still consternated until I figure out
what the error is.

What does this mean, "use <S-insertchar> to yank anyway." ?   I haven't been
able to do anything of the kind.  I think.

What does it mean, "the kill is not a (set of) tree(s)" ?

I have sometimes noticed that the problem is a missing asterisk at the start
of a line in the template string.  Not sure, though, whether that is what is
meant.

May I humbly request that these error messages be rewritten to reflect the
nature of the error in a manner that is understandable by a user?  If I
understood them well, I would be willing to suggest other text.  On the
other hand, I must say that I don't know how all the non-ENglish speaking
programmers do it.  Amazing.

This is not the only error message I have tripped over.  Perhaps one could
develop a list of error messages, with explanations for each...  How could I
grep for error messages in the lisp source, to at least get a list of
messages?  Is this something useful to do?

Thank you very much,

Alan Davis

 "Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow
them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value."

           --- R. Buckminster Fuller

[-- Attachment #1.2: Type: text/html, Size: 1988 bytes --]

[-- Attachment #2: Type: text/plain, Size: 201 bytes --]

_______________________________________________
Emacs-orgmode mailing list
Please use `Reply All' to send replies to the list.
Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org
http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode