Error Messages

Error message are vitally important to being able to debug an application that is having troubles.  One thing I should mention, though, is that the error message and subsequent call for action need to make sense.  For instance, the following error messages, or the actions they suggest, just don't make sense or don't help to debug the problem:

• Keyboard not found.  Press F1 to continue.  (I last saw this on an IBM PS/2 model 55SX.  I paid $6000 for a machine which I felt like throwing out the window.)


• An unexpected error has occurred.  (I last saw this on a number of different production applications in our own shop.  This doesn't help.  Honest.  Any shred of additional detail would be appreciated.)


• This is impossible.  (Last seen in one of our production applications.  You know, if I've seen it in an error message, it's obviously not impossible.  BTW, I saw 20 occurrences of this.)


• Invalid effective end data.  (Too bad there are about a dozen effective dates used at this point in the application.  No idea what date is being used or what table is being accessed.  Quick, call for a DBA!!!)

Sometimes we try to hold our clients hand and we use the excuse "Well, we want to make the error message friendly to the user".  Fine, make it friendly, but you can still had more information.  For instance, on the effective date error if you added what date was incorrect you would not only make it more user friendly, you might actually allow the user to solve the problem themselves!!!  The "unexpected error has occurred" message is sometimes a catchall, but you can still add valuable information. 

No, none of these are perfect solutions, but you need to understand that while you might be covering up the sins of the application to the end user, the support personnel have no data to go on in order to fix the problem.  This prolongs the issue and makes the application actually look worse in the long run.  You might want to consider a two part error message:  first part user friendly, second part techie.  You could add "Report the error to the appropriate support personnel and give them the following data:  blah blah blah".  Give the user both parts, but tell him to pass on the second part.  They will appreciate it, as will I.