Excluding tips, this compiler's misleading (7)
I believe the answer is:
evasive
'misleading' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'excluding tips this compiler's' is the wordplay.
'excluding' becomes 'save' ('save' can mean excluding or except).
'tips' is a reversal indicator (I've seen 'tipped' mean this).
'this compiler's' becomes 'i've' ('I have' referring to the crossword setter).
'save' reversed gives 'evas'.
'evas'+'ive'='EVASIVE'
(Other definitions for evasive that I've seen before include "make out-of-the-way sort of action" , "Deliberately vague" , "Shifty, dodging question" , "Shifty and misleading" , "Not frank, shifty" .)