The Unexplored Terrain of Compiler Warnings
This work identifies a gap in research on the cost-benefit of compiler warnings for software development, which is incremental as it calls for more focused studies rather than presenting new findings.
The paper addresses the mixed industry attitudes towards compiler warnings as early bug detection tools, highlighting the significant costs of patches and security bulletins that could be avoided by addressing warnings, but notes that current support for this value is anecdotal or from grey literature.
The authors' industry experiences suggest that compiler warnings, a lightweight version of program analysis, are valuable early bug detection tools. Significant costs are associated with patches and security bulletins for issues that could have been avoided if compiler warnings were addressed. Yet, the industry's attitude towards compiler warnings is mixed. Practices range from silencing all compiler warnings to having a zero-tolerance policy as to any warnings. Current published data indicates that addressing compiler warnings early is beneficial. However, support for this value theory stems from grey literature or is anecdotal. Additional focused research is needed to truly assess the cost-benefit of addressing warnings.