From 2e778f3b31c4a8d3e0f9c9465caa7a1f96615af3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Lilleman auf Larv <lilleman@larvit.se>
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 22:43:05 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Name a cell's line in its link-time errors, and say where a
 format holding a reference compiles

---
 node.go      | 9 ++++-----
 reference.go | 3 +++
 table.go     | 2 +-
 3 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/node.go b/node.go
index 978efc8..8151be8 100644
--- a/node.go
+++ b/node.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func (*null) isNode() {}
 // template renders a format string, substituting {tokens} from fields. A bare
 // JSON string is a template with no fields. repeat (default 1) renders that format
 // that many times and joins the results with separator (default ""), each render
-// an independent pick.
+// an independent pick. A format holding a reference compiles in `linkTemplateRefs`.
 type template struct {
 	// Filled by `compileString`, `compileTemplate` and `table.compileWhole`:
 	format     string
@@ -207,14 +207,13 @@ func compileString(s string) (node, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	t := &template{format: s, repeat: 1, fromString: true}
-	if err := t.compileUnbound(); err != nil {
+	if err := t.compileRefFree(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return t, nil
 }
 
-// compileUnbound compiles a format holding no reference; `linkTemplateRefs` compiles the rest.
-func (t *template) compileUnbound() error {
+func (t *template) compileRefFree() error {
 	if len(refTokens(t.format)) > 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -339,7 +338,7 @@ func compileTemplate(m map[string]any, pos position) (node, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	t := &template{format: o.format, fields: fields, repeat: o.repeat, separator: o.separator, datatype: o.datatype, drawGroup: o.group, record: fieldPos == inColumn}
-	if err := t.compileUnbound(); err != nil {
+	if err := t.compileRefFree(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return t, nil
diff --git a/reference.go b/reference.go
index f1e34c7..00d09e8 100644
--- a/reference.go
+++ b/reference.go
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ func linkTemplateRefs(folder []string, path, category string, t *template, root
 	if len(names) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
+	if t.cellOf != nil {
+		path = fmt.Sprintf("%s, line %d", path, t.cellRow+2)
+	}
 	t.refs = make(map[string]refBinding, len(names))
 	t.refHeads = make(map[string]node, len(names))
 	for _, name := range names {
diff --git a/table.go b/table.go
index 54bf4ff..e4cb88f 100644
--- a/table.go
+++ b/table.go
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func (t *table) compileWhole(format string) error {
 	}
 	t.format = &template{format: format, fields: t.fields, repeat: 1, record: true, table: t}
 	t.whole = &row{t}
-	return t.format.compileUnbound()
+	return t.format.compileRefFree()
 }
 
 // setTablePaths gives every table the path a selector on it is written at, before a