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I've just answer this question here which is complaining about unexpected output from a sample document. The question was originally tagged with the [overleaf] tag, which I removed, since it doesn't really concern Overleaf itself.

However, upon answering the question it's clear that the Overleaf tag was very useful in understanding the OPs output, since Overleaf runs using nonstop mode, and therefore always produces some sort of output. Using my regular editor of course just produced the actual error.

I'm thinking therefore that at least when questions concern errors and/or unexpected output, that we preserve the [overleaf] tag, even though the question isn't really about Overleaf.

Thoughts?

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    Just make [overleaf] a synonym to [ignored-error-messages] :) Nov 22, 2020 at 22:10
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    @samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz :) To be fair to Overleaf users, they have no control over its decision to compile in this mode. But yes, it's a perennial problem.
    – Alan Munn
    Nov 22, 2020 at 22:12
  • All true - and overleaf does a very good job in hiding them. (Today I answered a Q on stackoverflow with 58 ignored error messages - of course with overleaf) Nov 22, 2020 at 22:13
  • overleaf isn't the only culprit here of course, many tex IDEs do essentially the same so they can parse the log and provide filtered view of the log (texstudio making undefined command errors unintelligible being a common example) Nov 28, 2020 at 14:43
  • @DavidCarlisle Indeed it's the same issue then. So maybe I should make the suggestion more general: preserve any editor tag (including overleaf) if the question also would require the errors tag?
    – Alan Munn
    Nov 28, 2020 at 16:08

1 Answer 1

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As a general rule, in case of errors or unexpected output, we should err on the side of more information rather than less. This wouldn't be the first time an editor has caused a compilation error by sending something strange. That's something I often deal with offline with my students as well

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