nanog mailing list archives
Re: REMINDER: Error messages should include parameters
From: "Laurence F. Sheldon, Jr." <larrysheldon () cox net>
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 17:23:01 -0500
On 10/15/2013 17:17, Jay Ashworth wrote:
Off the Yahoo MX discussion, just a reminder for those who write code: *Always* include the parameters in the error message; pronouns and implicit references are Evil, Bad and Wrong. The 30 seconds you take to add the actual name of what you can't find/talk to could save some sysadmin *weeks* (I am not making that up; something once took me weeks). We now return you to your normal router configuration conversations.
Back in the day we only had room for about 4 digits--but there was a your-longevity-here-is-dependent-on-it binder for every run-unit that listed every error code in numerical order that gave a narrative description of what had failed AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.
Seems like the massive stores we have available now days that we could do at least as well.
Current thread:
- REMINDER: Error messages should include parameters Jay Ashworth (Oct 15)
- Re: REMINDER: Error messages should include parameters Bryan Tong (Oct 15)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: REMINDER: Error messages should include parameters Laurence F. Sheldon, Jr. (Oct 15)