Convert some quickfix messages into tags rather than errors

Question

Often times I get way too many diagnostics from my compiler (eg., things beginning note: which just provide context for the actual error), and I do not want to descend into these when I type :cn.

Can the quickfix window contain tag-like references, to be visited with ^], and can some of the compiler's diagnostic output be converted to such references? That way :cn doesn't have to descend down long lists of contextual output, but I do have the option of visiting those files easily if I need to.

For example:

In file included from /usr/include/c++/10/vector:67,
                 from test.cc:1:
/usr/include/c++/10/bits/stl_vector.h:653:2: note: candidate: ‘template<class _InputIterator, class> std::vector<_Tp, _Alloc>::vector(_InputIterator, _InputIterator, const allocator_type&) [with _InputIterator = _InputIterator; <template-parameter-2-2> = <template-parameter-1-2>; _Tp = Test; _Alloc = std::allocator<Test>]’
  653 |  vector(_InputIterator __first, _InputIterator __last,
      |  ^~~~~~

It makes sense to me that the filename:line pair on the In file included from line should be something I could visit with ^], and I would prefer the filename:line:column associated with the note: line to be that way too, instead of being treated as the next error in the list.

Answer 1

To expand on my comment…

Without sourcing any config or making any assumption about the language, compiler, etc. feeding your sample to Vim with $ vim --clean -q errorfile +copen should give something like this:

where…

• there is only one valid error (both :cn and :cN throw E553),
• you can already do <C-w>gF or some similar command on the "In file included from" filename.

Which almost covers all your needs, with one caveat: test.cc disappeared.

Now, if your errorformat finds more than one error in the given compiler output, it should be reputed broken and you should consider fixing it. Once it is fixed, you can then fine-tune it to your requirements.

We may be able to help, but we need to see your errorformat for that.