5 ms·

No. The exact opposite. I'm sick of modern software telling me "something went wrong, try again later". Unless every possible error scenario gets its own descr

No. The exact opposite. I'm sick of modern software telling me "something went wrong, try again later". Unless every possible error scenario gets its own descriptive error, that error code is a necessity. And nobody is going to accept a dev adding error messages to every possible error, because localisation to 180+ languages will cost a fortune. Your choice is between "something went wrong" and "something went wrong 0x82939470". The first one is ungoogleable and useless, the second one will have resolutions on forums within a month of appearing. Sure, I'd like every message to be descriptive towarsa the user, but that simply won't happen. Microsoft has an extensive API for formatting error codes already and if they pop up a 0xsomething, that means they were never going to bother with adding a descriptive message at all.

permo-w 3y ago
that's not the exact opposite though, is it? what you want is what the parent commenter wants with an addendum
RajT88 3y ago
Search all the *.h files in the Xbox and Windows SDK's for that hResult. AKA "Partying like it's 1999"
- jeroenhd 3y ago
  All of the header errors are documented in multiple languages on MSDN, I only start searching header files when I'm desperate. Microsoft doesn't document all of their errors, annoyingly, but at least the HRESULT structure gives some kind of indication of the source.
  - RajT88 3y ago
    It ships with Visual Studio, but you can also download a tool to do this here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=100432 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=100... There's a web version I am aware of as well, but I think you have to work for MS to get access to it. I would speculate there's extra stuff in that one.
RetpolineDrama 3y ago
>Unless every possible error scenario gets its own descriptive error I mean that's not out of the question, I force that in every codebase I use. The only one I find that difficult in is Kotlin, because it's a trash language that doesn't properly compose throwables.
- Clamchop 3y ago
  I'm always amused to read such strong opinions but I also don't know what you're talking about that would be Kotlin's fault.
- jeroenhd 3y ago
  I don't get it, you can compose exceptions in Kotlin just fine. I believe Jetbrains Compose adds some restrictions on try/catch but even then there are different ways you can communicate failure.
- wiseowise 3y ago
  > because it's a trash language that doesn't properly compose throwables. Can you elaborate?
qoi4j5ioq3j45 3y ago
> Unless every possible error scenario gets its own descriptive error, Yeah, that's kinda the point. Every error code gets its own text description. That's what I do, what my company does, with our code. Because technicians don't have the ability to look up error codes like engineers can. And even if they did, the ability to look up where/when the error code was generated doesn't tell you what to do about it. Microsoft is just way below average in this area and counts on its locked-in customers not knowing how much better other companies are.
- jeroenhd 3y ago
  Internationalising every possible failure within a system, especially one as complex as Windows, into 110 languages seems needlessly intensive and complicated. Many details differentiated by error codes just aren't useful information to end users anyway. I don't think Microsoft can document _every_ error, it's just not very realistic. I'd prefer it if they did, but lacking that, the error code works just fine.
duped 3y ago
Except these days when you search "Error Code 0xdeadbeef" you get nothing but blogpam on "how to fix error code 0xdeadbeef. Download this garbage cleaner app. Run it. Restart." Etc.

permo-w 3y ago

that's not the exact opposite though, is it? what you want is what the parent commenter wants with an addendum

RajT88 3y ago

Search all the *.h files in the Xbox and Windows SDK's for that hResult. AKA "Partying like it's 1999"

jeroenhd 3y ago
All of the header errors are documented in multiple languages on MSDN, I only start searching header files when I'm desperate. Microsoft doesn't document all of their errors, annoyingly, but at least the HRESULT structure gives some kind of indication of the source.
- RajT88 3y ago
  It ships with Visual Studio, but you can also download a tool to do this here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=100432 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=100... There's a web version I am aware of as well, but I think you have to work for MS to get access to it. I would speculate there's extra stuff in that one.

RetpolineDrama 3y ago

>Unless every possible error scenario gets its own descriptive error I mean that's not out of the question, I force that in every codebase I use. The only one I find that difficult in is Kotlin, because it's a trash language that doesn't properly compose throwables.

Clamchop 3y ago
I'm always amused to read such strong opinions but I also don't know what you're talking about that would be Kotlin's fault.
jeroenhd 3y ago
I don't get it, you can compose exceptions in Kotlin just fine. I believe Jetbrains Compose adds some restrictions on try/catch but even then there are different ways you can communicate failure.
wiseowise 3y ago
> because it's a trash language that doesn't properly compose throwables. Can you elaborate?

qoi4j5ioq3j45 3y ago

> Unless every possible error scenario gets its own descriptive error, Yeah, that's kinda the point. Every error code gets its own text description. That's what I do, what my company does, with our code. Because technicians don't have the ability to look up error codes like engineers can. And even if they did, the ability to look up where/when the error code was generated doesn't tell you what to do about it. Microsoft is just way below average in this area and counts on its locked-in customers not knowing how much better other companies are.

jeroenhd 3y ago
Internationalising every possible failure within a system, especially one as complex as Windows, into 110 languages seems needlessly intensive and complicated. Many details differentiated by error codes just aren't useful information to end users anyway. I don't think Microsoft can document _every_ error, it's just not very realistic. I'd prefer it if they did, but lacking that, the error code works just fine.

duped 3y ago

Except these days when you search "Error Code 0xdeadbeef" you get nothing but blogpam on "how to fix error code 0xdeadbeef. Download this garbage cleaner app. Run it. Restart." Etc.