Error Message Text - Best Practices

Question

We are changing some of the text for our old, badly written error messages. What are some resources for best practices on writing good error messages (specifically for Wind

Answer 1

Error handling is always better than error reporting, but since you are retrofitting the error messages and not necessarily the code here's a couple of suggestions:

Users want solutions, not problems. Help them know what to do after an error, even if the message is as simple as "Please close the current window and retry your action."

I am also a big fan of centralized logging of errors. Make sure the log is both human and computer scanable. Users don't always let you know what problems they are having, especially if they can be 'worked around', so the log can help you know what things need fixed.

If you can control the error dialog easily, having a dialog which shows a nice, readable message with a 'details' button to show the error number, trace, etc. can be a big help for real-time problem solving as well.