Dynamic error messaging

• US 6,526,529 B1
• Filed: 06/29/1999
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Colby, Todd M., Miksovsky, Jan T., Stevens, Warren G.
• Primary Examiner(s): BADERMAN, SCOTT T
• Application Number:
  US09/340,715
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 714/48,57,38 717/124,125,168,171,172,173
• US Class Current: 714/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display

Abstract

A method and system for dynamically updating the error messages corresponding to a shipped software product. The exiting generic error messages shipped with a software product are replaced or appended as errors are resolved or better understood, whereby a user who receives an error message will see the latest known information for that error message. A file of updated error messages is automatically downloaded when the user is connected to the Internet. Any time an error message is to be displayed, an error handling mechanism compares identifier information of the error message to the file of updated error messages, and if a match is found, overwrites or extends the existing error message that was shipped with the code for display to the user. If no match is found, the existing message is displayed. An updated error message can be changed or reset to the original message if a problem changes or goes away, and updated messages may include certain identifying information for the purpose of assisting product support personnel in resolving user problems.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, comprising:

receiving an indication of an error having an existing error message associated therewith;

locating data corresponding to an updated error message,

adding information to text of the updated error message; and

outputting an error message including information corresponding to the updated error message.

2. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein the existing error message has an identifier associated therewith, and receiving the indication includes receiving the identifier.

3. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 2, wherein locating data includes searching a file of dynamic error message information via the identifier.

4. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 2, wherein locating data includes searching a file of dynamic error message information via the identifier in conjunction with a file identifier.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 including further computer-executable instructions comprising, constructing a string for searching the file.

6. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 4, wherein the file identifier corresponds to a file having the existing error message therein.

7. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 4, wherein the file identifier corresponds to a dynamic link library.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 including further computer-executable instructions comprising, evaluating the data corresponding to the updated error message to determine whether to append the updated error message to the existing error message or replace the existing error message with the updated error message.

9. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein outputting the error message includes appending text of the updated error message to text of the existing error message.

10. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein outputting the error message includes outputting text of the existing error message.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 including further computer-executable instructions comprising, evaluating the data corresponding to the updated error message to determine whether at least one condition in the data is met.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 comprising further computer-executable instructions comprising, outputting an error message based on the result of evaluating the data, the error message including text corresponding to the updated error message.

13. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein outputting the error message includes outputting a link to a source of additional information.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the data corresponding to an updated error message is maintained in a file in local storage, and further including computer-executable instructions for downloading the file from a remote source.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the download occurs automatically.

16. In a computer system including a software product having error messages, a method comprising:

maintaining a file of updated error message information;

receiving an indication of an error;

searching the file for message information corresponding to the error, and if found, using the found message information to provide an error message, including filling in text to a blank field within text of the found message information, and if not found, providing an error message from the software product.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving the indication includes receiving an error identifier corresponding to the error message of the software product, and searching the file includes using the error identifier in the search.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein searching the file includes using a file identifier corresponding to a dynamic link library of the software product.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising constructing a string for searching the file based on the file identifier and an error identifier.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein using the found message information includes evaluating the found message information to determine whether to append text in the found message information to text of the error message of the software product.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein using the found message information includes evaluating the found message information to determine whether to overwrite text of the error message of the software product with text in the found message information.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein using the found message information includes evaluating the found message information to determine whether at least one condition in the data is met.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the found message information includes a link to a source of additional information.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein maintaining a file of updated error message information includes, receiving the file from a remote source, and storing the file at a local storage of the computer system.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving the file from the remote source includes, downloading the file from an Internet site.

26. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, comprising:

a first set of information identifying an error;

a second set of information corresponding to an updated error message, and

a third set of information indicating whether the updated error message will overwrite an existing error message of a software product or will be combined with data of the existing error message.

27. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 26, wherein the first set of information includes an errorcode and a file identifier.

28. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 26, wherein the second set of information includes a string of text.

29. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 26, further comprising, a fourth set of information representative of a match condition indicating whether the updated error message is applicable.

30. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 26, wherein the second set of information includes a link to another source of data.

31. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, comprising:

selecting errors in a software product for updating error message information therein;

storing in a file the updated error message information for the errors selected, along with information identifying whether to replace existing error messages of a software product or combine the error messages of the software product with the updated error message information; and

providing the file to at least one user of the software product.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 including further computer-executable instructions for, removing the updated error message information for at least one previously selected error.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 including further computer-executable instructions for, storing in the file at least one link to another source of information.

34. In a computer system including a software product having error messages, a system comprising:

a dynamic error messages file of updated error message information;

an error handler for receiving an errorcode from the software product indicative of an error;

a search mechanism associated with the error handler for searching the dynamic error messages file for information corresponding to the errorcode and providing a search result; and

a user interface connected to the error handler for outputting a selected error message based on the search result.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the error handler interprets the search result to determine whether to output an existing error message of the software product.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the error handler outputs the existing error message via the user interface if the search result indicates that no updated error message corresponds to the errorcode.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein the error handler outputs an updated error message via the user interface if the search result indicates that an updated error message corresponds to the errorcode.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein the error handler outputs an updated error message via the user interface if the search result indicates that an updated error message corresponds to the errorcode and that the updated error message should replace the existing error message.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein the error handler outputs an updated error message and the existing message of the software product via the user interface if the search result indicates that an updated error message corresponds to the errorcode and that the updated error message should be combined with the existing error message.

40. The system of claim 34 further comprising an additional source of information, and wherein the error handler outputs an updated error message having a link to the additional source of information.

41. The system of claim 34 wherein the dynamic error messages file is formatted in a text-based format.

42. The system of claim 34 wherein at least one existing error message of the software product is maintained in a dynamic link library of the product.

43. In a computer system, a method, comprising:

receiving an indication of an error having an existing error message associated therewith;

locating updated error message data corresponding to the existing error message;

evaluating a replacement instruction associated with the updated error message data to determine whether to combine the updated error message data with the existing error message or replace the existing error message with the updated error message data; and

a) if the replacement instruction associated with the updated error message indicates that the updated error message is to be combined, outputting a combined error message including information corresponding to the existing error message and the updated error message data; and

b) if the replacement instruction associated with the updated error message indicates that the updated error message is to be replaced, outputting an error message including information corresponding to the updated error message data.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the updated error message data includes the replacement instruction, and wherein evaluating the replacement instruction includes searching a file of dynamic error message information that includes text to output and the replacement instruction.

46. The method of claim 43 further comprising, adding information to text of the updated error message.

47. The method of claim 43 further comprising, evaluating the updated error message data to determine whether at least one condition is met.

48. The method of claim 43 wherein outputting the error message includes outputting a link to a source of additional error information.

49. The method of claim 43 wherein the updated error message data is maintained in a file in local storage, and further comprising, downloading the file from a remote source.

50. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 43.

45. The method of claim 45 wherein locating data includes constructing a string comprising a combination of a file identifier corresponding to a file containing the existing error message and an error message identifier, and searching a file of dynamic error message information via the string.

51. In a computer system, a method, comprising:

receiving an indication of an error having an existing error message associated therewith;

determining that updated error message data corresponds to the existing error message;

after determining that updated error message data corresponds to the existing error message, locating condition data included with the updated error message data and evaluating the condition data to determine whether other updated error message data applies; and

a) if the condition data is satisfied, applying the other updated error message data to provide an updated error message; and

b) if the condition data is not satisfied, outputting the existing error message.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the condition data is satisfied, wherein the updated error message data includes replacement data, and wherein applying the other updated error message includes evaluating the replacement data to determine whether to combine the updated error message data with the existing error message or whether to replace the existing error message, to provide the updated error message.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein determining that updated error message data corresponds to the existing error message includes searching a file of dynamic error message information.

54. The method of claim 51 further comprising, adding information to text of the updated error message.

55. The method of claim 51 wherein outputting the error message includes outputting a link to a source of additional error information.

56. The method of claim 51 wherein the updated error message data is maintained in a file in local storage, and further comprising, downloading the file from a remote source.

57. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 51.

58. In a computing environment, a method of providing error-related information to a computing user, comprising:

receiving an indication of an error having an existing error message associated therewith;

locating updated error message data corresponding to the error; and

outputting an updated error message including information based on the updated error message data, including outputting a link that when selected by the user provides additional information about the error.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the updated error message data is maintained in a file in local storage, and further comprising, downloading the file from a remote source.

60. The method of claim 58 wherein the link provides the additional information from a remote source.

61. In a computing environment, a system comprising:

an executable software product comprising at least one component;

a first file set comprising at least one static error message file, the first set providing original error messages for the executable software product to select and output in response to an error;

a second file set comprising at least one dynamic error message file, the second set providing updated error messages for the executable software product to select and output in response to an error,

an error handling mechanism in the executable software product; and

“

a centralized error handling mechanism that is called by the error handling mechanism in the executable software product from an errorcode included with the call to determine the content of an error message to output in response to an error.”

62. The method of claim 61 wherein at least part of the second file set is downloaded from a remote source.