A confluence of several things.
First, z/VM has a facility (been there for decades) that facilitates
(sorta) what you're talking about.
MVS people, please don't shrink back. We can easily have the same
service on z/OS.
When I was in a previous gig, someone had used the VM message handler to
mix Messages and Codes with interactive messaging.
In another gig, I followed that and added mnemonics (because in that job
we had several hundred unique condititions with English-looking
symbols). Another colleague had cobbled-up a handler for z/OS.
The result was ...
* the message (to be displayed at runtime),
* what it means (in case it was not already clear),
* what to do about it (call it "user action"),
... and the mnemonic if relevant. Then we had a tool, shared with
customers, which would pull out the second (details) and third (action)
bullet.
I think I mentioned the VM message content handler here before: I wrote
a work-alike for POSIX systems, which the Wizard compiled on USS.
It needs a bit more work before it can do the multi-bullet thing
discussed above, but that's in the plan.
I feel your pain, Lionel. I would argue that error messages from any
subsystem (or application) should be concise (usually a one-liner), but
*not* end with just return code and reason code. Then further details
should be readily available, web at least or a quick command, because
"concise" is just not enough for some customers. (Everybody's different.)
-- R; <><
On 9/18/23 08:06, Lionel B. Dyck wrote:
I submitted this IBM Idea and would appreciate your support if you’re able
to vote:
https://ibm-z-hardware-and-operating-systems.ideas.ibm.com/ideas/ZOS-I-3827
The text is:
Title:
All error messages for shell tools should be complete and NOT require
referencing a Messages and Codes manual
Text:
Receiving a message like this (example from DSFS dsadm command): IDFS00329E
Could not set creation parameters, return code 126 reason code ED07621A. Is
confusing and meaningless to the average OMVS shell user. They are not used
to finding a messages and codes manual (which is so last millennium) and
using Google/Bing/... is useless in finding this, and similar, messages.
All shell commands that run under OMVS should provide clear, and complete,
messages without requiring the user to find a messages and codes manual. The
days of the 1960's and 1970's to
Lionel B. Dyck <><
Website:https://www.lbdsoftware.com
Github:https://github.com/lbdyck
“Worry more about your character than your reputation. Character is what you
are, reputation merely what others think you are.” - - - John Wooden
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