The ascending severity hierarchy is INFO < WARNING < ERROR < SEVERE ERROR < TERMINATING
Coding one of these values suppresses all less severe messages. A small, non-definitive test suggests that things work as they are bruited. In particular none of these message sets is empty. The question what the default should be is a separate issue and a judgment call. A good design disentangles its value from the question what values to support. In particular Mr Perryman and I disagree. I do not think it appropriate to discard all messages that are less severe than a|the current default. The severity level appropriate in any situation is inversely related to its setter's experience level. For an experienced user INFO and WARNING messages may be, usually are, otiose. For a novice they may be, usually are, important. My own practice is to set default severity levels low because it seems to me that 1)experienced users who are annoyed by repetitive, to them uninteresting message will discover how to suppress them and that 2) the ignorant and inexperienced should be protected while they are so. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophie. John Gilmore, Ashland, MA 01721 - USA ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
