From the YCM documentation. > YCM will display a short diagnostic message when you move your cursor > to the line with the error. You can get a detailed diagnostic message > with the <leader>d key mapping (can be changed in the options) YCM > provides when your cursor is on the line with the diagnostic. > > You can also see the full diagnostic message for all the diagnostics > in the current file in Vim's locationlist, which can be opened with > the :lopen and :lclose commands (make sure you have set let > g:ycm_always_populate_location_list = 1 in your vimrc). A good way to > toggle the display of the locationlist with a single key mapping is > provided by another (very small) Vim plugin called ListToggle (which > also makes it possible to change the height of the locationlist > window), also written by yours truly.