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posted by Fnord666 on Friday August 18 2017, @08:47AM   Printer-friendly
from the delete-all-your-files.-Ok? dept.

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

Try this simple technique to write messages that help users understand the reason for errors.

The first time a user encounters an application's documentation, it's not always with the user manual or online help. Often, that first encounter with documentation is an error message.

Technical writers should be involved in writing error messages. It's an important, although often overlooked, part of the job. After all, error messages are documentation, albeit documentation that's embedded in the code.

[...] An error message should be meaningful. By that, I mean full of meaning not only for a developer, but also for the user of the software. To prevent any panic or confusion, the message should be clear.

A meaningful error message should:

  • be short (you can write in sentence fragments);
  • contain a description, in plain language, of what went wrong; and
  • use wording or a tone that doesn't (whether explicitly or not) blame the user.

Source: https://opensource.com/article/17/8/write-effective-error-messages


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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by PiMuNu on Friday August 18 2017, @09:44AM (4 children)

    by PiMuNu (3823) on Friday August 18 2017, @09:44AM (#555795)

    Error: "missile launch sequence abort" could not be executed.

    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by maxwell demon on Friday August 18 2017, @09:50AM (2 children)

    by maxwell demon (1608) on Friday August 18 2017, @09:50AM (#555797) Journal

    Error: "missile launch sequence abort" could not be executed, command aborted.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    • (Score: 3, Funny) by PiMuNu on Friday August 18 2017, @10:23AM (1 child)

      by PiMuNu (3823) on Friday August 18 2017, @10:23AM (#555812)

      It looks like you are trying to abort the missile launch sequence. Would you like help?

      • (Score: 5, Funny) by maxwell demon on Friday August 18 2017, @10:51AM

        by maxwell demon (1608) on Friday August 18 2017, @10:51AM (#555826) Journal

        Error trying to abort.
        (A)bort, (R)etry, (I)gnore, (F)ail?

        --
        The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 18 2017, @07:02PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 18 2017, @07:02PM (#556034)

    "For sale: sequence abort, never worn"