Which stack trace option yields the most useful information best?

gistfile1.sh

Note: This part of the discussion is now over, #1 was the "winner" :)
See the other file for Part II of the discussion and the end result.

# Option 1 - Tabular

      5. fail()                       266 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl 
      4. module_dsl()                 236 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/modules/dsl 
      3. source()                       3 /usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dsl 
      2. extension_action()           152 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl 
      1. main()                        76 /usr/local/bin/bdsm 
        
# Option 2 - Nested, by function

main()                        76   /usr/local/bin/bdsm 
  extension_action()          152  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl 
    source()                  3    /usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dsl 
      module_dsl()            236  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/modules/dsl 
        fail()                266  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl 

# Option 3 - Nested, by function, reversed order

        fail()                266  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl 
      module_dsl()            236  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/modules/dsl 
    source()                  3    /usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dsl 
  extension_action()          152  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl 
main()                        76   /usr/local/bin/bdsm 

# Option 4 - Nested, by function, reversed order, reversed nesting

fail()                        266  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl 
  module_dsl()                236  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/modules/dsl 
    source()                  3    /usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dsl 
      extension_action()      152  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl 
        main()                76   /usr/local/bin/bdsm 

# Option 6 - Tabular, Reversed

      1. main()                        76 /usr/local/bin/bdsm 
      2. extension_action()           152 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl 
      3. source()                       3 /usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dsl 
      4. module_dsl()                 236 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/modules/dsl 
      5. fail()                       266 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl 

gistfile2.txt

# BDSM Framework Backtraces (bash)

∴ for editor in ' ' less nano vi vim emacs mvim mate; do   export EDITOR="${editor:-}";   printf "\n\nEDITOR: ${EDITOR:-}\n";   bdsm module dingus; done


EDITOR:  

Action binary/file dingus missing for extension mod
    (/usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dingus)

function()         $   +#   source file                                   
===============================================================================================
fail()             $   +265 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl      
extension_action() $   +84  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl   
main()             $   +76  /usr/local/bin/bdsm                           
===============================================================================================


EDITOR: less

Action binary/file dingus missing for extension mod
    (/usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dingus)

function()         $      +#   source file                                   
===============================================================================================
fail()             $ less +265 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl      
extension_action() $ less +84  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl   
main()             $ less +76  /usr/local/bin/bdsm                           
===============================================================================================


EDITOR: nano

Action binary/file dingus missing for extension mod
    (/usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dingus)

function()         $      +#   source file                                   
===============================================================================================
fail()             $ nano +265 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl      
extension_action() $ nano +84  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl   
main()             $ nano +76  /usr/local/bin/bdsm                           
===============================================================================================


EDITOR: vi

Action binary/file dingus missing for extension mod
    (/usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dingus)

function()         $    +#   source file                                   
===============================================================================================
fail()             $ vi +265 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl      
extension_action() $ vi +84  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl   
main()             $ vi +76  /usr/local/bin/bdsm                           
===============================================================================================


EDITOR: vim

Action binary/file dingus missing for extension mod
    (/usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dingus)

function()         $     +#   source file                                   
===============================================================================================
fail()             $ vim +265 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl      
extension_action() $ vim +84  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl   
main()             $ vim +76  /usr/local/bin/bdsm                           
===============================================================================================


EDITOR: emacs

Action binary/file dingus missing for extension mod
    (/usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dingus)

function()         $       +#   source file                                   
===============================================================================================
fail()             $ emacs +265 /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl      
extension_action() $ emacs +84  /usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl   
main()             $ emacs +76  /usr/local/bin/bdsm                           
===============================================================================================


EDITOR: mvim

Action binary/file dingus missing for extension mod
    (/usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dingus)

function()         Source
===============================================================================================
fail()             mvim://open?url=file:///usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl&line=265
extension_action() mvim://open?url=file:///usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl&line=84
main()             mvim://open?url=file:///usr/local/bin/bdsm&line=76
===============================================================================================


EDITOR: mate

Action binary/file dingus missing for extension mod
    (/usr/local/bdsm/extensions/mod/bin/dingus)

function()         Source
===============================================================================================
fail()             mate://open?url=file:///usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/logging/dsl&line=265
extension_action() mate://open?url=file:///usr/local/bdsm/modules/bash/extensions/dsl&line=84
main()             mate://open?url=file:///usr/local/bin/bdsm&line=76
===============================================================================================

I like Option 6, with numbering removed. Having the relevant info as close to the bottom makes sense to me, it will prevent having to visually hunt for the most useful information.

Also, there can be a limited nest. This gets rid of the "OMG, it'll indent 4eva" problem while maybe highlighting/increasing readability for the last 4 levels (for example): https://gist.github.com/947599

I prefer option 1, but without the linenumbers ... also, how about displaying line numbers as path:nnn ?

option 1, as is the (mostly common) standard, IMHO

Option 1, please. Indentation is hella bad as nesting gets deep and it's honestly the way I've grown accustomed to reading stack traces. It's ingrained to work back up the stack.

It would be easiest to read if the error message were at the same end of the stack trace as the failing function. [ie, at the top for option 1, or at the bottom for option 6.]

Opinions are like assholes.

Option 6 because it presents the most useful information at the bottom, which is the first thing I will see in my console. Scrolling up sucks.

You should change the line number syntax to +30 path/to/file. This will allow one to copy/paste it into a vim / emacsclient command:

vim +30 path/to/script.sh

Now that I LOVE :)