Make error message how to#
Make error message code#

Make error message code#

The same approach is used for web servers and your http error code example. A user will generally then see the error and go to the logs for more detailed information. You can then log in a more visible manner when one of these errors (how you handle the error internally is up to you - exceptions or error codes make no difference here). Second is to determine the major components and their interfaces, and to define what major error cases these components can find themselves in. I would recommend a 2-step approach then. in practice errors can occur all over the damn place, and reporting them can turn nice code into a monster of logging, exception throwing and handling, and passing return values. You first have to isolate the areas where errors might occur, and are user-visible. A simple if (.) throw new FooException(1234, '.') else throw new FooException(1235, '.') line in your code might save half an hour for the help desk.ДЄnd never forget that the purpose of the error codes is to make life easier for the help desk. Split error codes if the help desk asks for it.It's easier for them to have 'E1234: See E1235' in their wiki, than to get the user to confess what he has done wrong. Even though you think it's the same cause, the help desk might need to do different things in different cases. Assign each throw in your code a separate code.There will always be hard-to-classify errors and you don't want to discuss for hours whether an error should be in the 45xx group or in the 54xx group. Do not try to enforce a structure on the error codes.The help desk should have a separate list on their own wiki. Keep a short list on a wiki-page for developers, which they can easily edit when they need a new code. Keep a list of all error codes, but don't do this in your code.

Make error message how to#

Maybe add a leading 'E' to make them clearly identifiable for users (especially useful when the support desk has to instruct users how to spot the error code). Keep all error codes to the same length, so a wrong error code is easy to spot. Do not start at 1 and don't use leading zeros.Use the same exception type in all of your code. The catch in the main loop will report this field in the usual way (log file / error pop-up / error reply). Use a custom exception type with an additional ErrorCode property.This is how I would organize it (Note that points 2-6 are language agnostic): Exceptions are the modern way to report errors, and there is no reason why they should not carry an error code within them. One can implement error codes using error return values, but I would advice against that. An error return value is a coding technique to indicate that your code has encountered an error. An error code is for the user and help desk. There is a difference between error codes and error return values.