LOGO-L> FW: Error messages and common decency

[Bob Gorman <bgorman@seresc.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From:	Bob Gorman [SMTP:bgorman@seresc.net]
Sent:	Monday, April 27, 1998 2:16 PM
To:	'logo-list@gsn.org'
Subject:	Error messages and common decency...

Many software error messages are to put it bluntly rude and inconsiderate!
When as a programmer you issue an error message, you are down a particular 
branch of your code tree because:
A) You expected something...
B) You got something else!!!

IF you wanted to help the user (the one who ultimately pays your salary), 
rather than play a cheap form of oneupmanship, your message might  be:
	I was expecting........
	But I received..........
	You can fix it by.......
Often the third part is unnecessary if the 1st part is clear enough!
Example:
I was expecting a fully qualified path name, such as 
C:\DIR1\DIR2\FILENAME.EXT
	I received (or you typed) FILENAME
	So I looked in MY default directory, which is C:\MYPROG for FILENAME.ABC



As to whether "I don't know how to" or  "You haven't said how to" is chi  
ldish or not,
In my opinion, neither is terrible nor great, but both are polite.

However,
	SYNTAX ERROR
	(Which loosely translated means, I know WHAT you did wrong, I know WHERE 
you did it wrong, but I'm not going to tell you either; nah nah, na nah 
nah!
Is INFANTILE!!!

Any thoughts?
Bob Gorman


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