One of the least-appreciated skills in programming is writing anti-frustrating error messages. A good error message should make it self-evident (a) what the user did, (b) what acceptable inputs are, and (c) how to fix the problem. Can determine love or hate for your library.

Feb 22, 2022 · 4:24 PM UTC

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Replying to @gdb
And who to contact if you are still confused. Also log error details for devs team review so that UI can be evaluated and improved when the same errors occur regularly by many users.
Replying to @gdb @Kristennetten
This should be covered by UX people, not programmers. Even in your post you make typical mistake. These are misunderstanding messages, not error messages.
Replying to @gdb
ID10T – Malfunction with the interface between the chair & keyboard. Has to be the best error message.
Replying to @gdb
This- I have cussed out many a machine and AI operated system 🤣
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Replying to @gdb
is same for relationships... hard!
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Replying to @gdb
Back in the early 90s for a laugh, I once wrote an error message that simply said "Something terrible has happened!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Replying to @gdb
The error message should just have a link to that Stack Overflow post from 10 years ago where that one guy did this same dumb thing and someone posted an accepted answer 2 years later. btw, S.O. should show most highlighted text like Medium does so I can cut corners even more.
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Replying to @gdb
Old COBOL Programmer here. We were trained and expected to trace everything. Anything that fell through the logic had a defined path to report and follow through. We never had to update our programs like Apps do. We tested every circumstance with proof. QUALITY.
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Replying to @gdb
I think the most under-appreciated skill is covering edge-cases. From my own experience, so many development shops focus on celebrating quick delivery of "working" code, they NEVER stop to consider how many issues quickly delivered code winds up generating in the future.
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Replying to @gdb
The blue screen of death could be better utilized.
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