Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes"

From	Don Y <this@isnotme.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes"
Date	2012-03-04 16:03 -0700
Organization	Aioe.org NNTP Server
Message-ID	<jj0scq$ckd$1@speranza.aioe.org> (permalink)
References	<jiojq3$3cm$1@speranza.aioe.org> <9ri412FadbU2@mid.individual.net>

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Hi Ian,

On 3/4/2012 2:09 PM, Ian Collins wrote:
> On 03/ 2/12 08:48 AM, Don Y wrote:

>> I have a suite of projects that utilize a common approach to
>> error reporting. Instead of a PASS/FAIL result, most functions
>> return information regarding the nature of the "failure" (which
>> can also include "partial failures"... "warnings"). These
>> reports allow upper levels of the application to convey those
>> details to the user without exposing all of the *mechanism*
>> involved to those upper levels.
>
> My usual technique for this class of problem is to build the tables in a
> programmer and machine friendly format, typically XML in the guise of an
> Open Office document.
>
> The programmer(s) can easily maintain and version control the document
> and the machine can easily perform validation of the data (one of my
> teams developed an XML schema validation tool for this purpose:
> http://sut.sourceforge.net) and generate the necessary headers.

Yes, but now you have to manually relate the messages to the
code from which they were "reasoned".  It would be like keeping
the *comments* for your source code in a MSWord document (i.e.,
sure, you could *do* it but you KNOW the two documents will
quickly get out of sync as pressure has you updating one and
defering the effort of updating the other).

E.g., the approach I am taking here is analagous to how Literate
Programming couples documentation with source code (except I am
only tackling the "error reporting" aspect of the task).

> <snip>
>>
>> A "solution" also needs to address the problem of *explaining*
>> the "result" (to the ultimate user). The point at which the
>> result is "signaled" contains the most information about the
>> nature of the "problem" being reported though it is in a
>> very narrowly defined context: i.e., you can tell the user
>> "Multiple decimal points encountered" -- though you can't
>> indicate the role that the value being entered plays in the
>> application (is this a person's wages? the weight of a
>> newborn child? the average lifespan of a male tortoise?).
>
> Tales

s/Tales/Tables/  ?

> in an Office document are ideal for this. You can include as much
> information is you want, Your code generation can select various subsets
> of the data to present as user messages.

I extract the error code, short message and long message (as well as
the locale indicator) and stuff those into a (real) database
(you could just as easily create a big array of struct's and
index/search that based on the "(error code, locale)" presented).

This moves all that "text" out of the "TEXT" section of the program
(it could reside on a different *processor*!).  It also lets someone
non-technical make and review translations without having to understand
the actual code surrounding it (though the code acts as the final
arbiter of what the error message actually *should* convey).

Thread

Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-01 12:48 -0700
  Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2012-03-01 21:29 +0000
    Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-01 16:53 -0700
  Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" William Ahern <william@wilbur.25thandClement.com> - 2012-03-01 14:13 -0800
    Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-01 22:07 -0700
  Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-03-01 17:53 -0500
    Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-01 23:05 -0700
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-03-02 01:50 -0500
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-02 00:43 -0700
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-03-03 17:58 -0500
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-03-04 03:16 -0500
              Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-04 13:47 -0700
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-04 13:45 -0700
              Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-03-04 18:37 -0500
                Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-04 22:12 -0700
                Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-03-08 01:41 -0500
                Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-09 14:34 -0700
  Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-02 00:30 -0700
    Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-02 02:05 -0800
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-02 10:47 +0000
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2012-03-02 14:18 +0000
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-02 10:46 -0700
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-03-02 14:08 -0500
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-02 12:38 -0700
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-02 22:57 +0000
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-02 17:14 -0700
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-03 02:25 +0000
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-03-03 06:10 -0500
              Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-03-03 16:12 -0500
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-03 04:04 -0800
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-03 15:05 +0000
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-03-03 16:25 +0000
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-03-03 16:26 -0500
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-03 13:40 -0800
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-03 12:03 +1300
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-02 15:45 -0800
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-02 17:18 -0700
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" blp@cs.stanford.edu (Ben Pfaff) - 2012-03-02 15:08 -0800
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-03-03 10:30 +0000
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-03-03 06:19 -0500
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-03-03 15:15 +0200
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-03 14:52 +0000
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-03 07:39 -0800
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Jonathan Leffler <jleffler@earthlink.net> - 2012-03-03 23:56 -0800
              Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-05 09:20 +1300
                Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-04 13:28 -0800
                Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-05 10:56 +1300
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-03-03 17:02 +0000
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-03-03 12:30 -0800
    Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 19:15 -0700
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-04 03:20 +0000
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-04 11:03 -0700
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-04 16:31 -0700
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-04 23:04 -0700
  Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-02 22:13 -0800
    Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 00:49 -0700
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-03 03:32 -0800
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 12:04 -0700
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Lowell Gilbert <lgusenet@be-well.ilk.org> - 2012-03-03 15:06 -0500
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 14:38 -0700
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-03 12:15 -0800
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 16:51 -0700
              Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-04 14:08 -0800
                Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-04 15:56 -0700
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-03 03:45 -0800
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Lowell Gilbert <lgusenet@be-well.ilk.org> - 2012-03-03 14:11 -0500
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 13:03 -0700
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 12:32 -0700
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 15:04 -0700
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-04 11:09 +1300
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 16:55 -0700
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-04 13:04 +1300
              Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 18:24 -0700
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-03 14:30 -0800
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-03 17:06 -0700
  Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-05 10:09 +1300
    Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-04 16:03 -0700
      Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-05 13:26 +1300
        Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-04 22:21 -0700
          Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-05 20:46 +1300
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-05 10:54 -0700
              Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-06 10:02 +1300
                Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-05 16:09 -0700
            Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-03-06 10:54 +0000
              Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-07 07:22 +1300
  Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" gordonb.8sa24@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2012-03-06 08:51 -0600
    Re: Mechanism to generate annotated "error codes" Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-06 11:21 -0700

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