Alan Cox <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Question: What is a "messages manual", what does it achieve ?
Mainframe folks are used to the idea that every distinct message a program issues has a "message identifier" as its first token. These message ids allow you to look the message up in a reference manual (the "messages manual") or in some cases in the online documentation (e.g. the VM/CMS "HELP" command) to get a well-written explanation of the circumstances under which the message is issued and what options you have in dealing with the situation. In some cases, these explanations run to 100 lines or more of text. The CP (VM hypervisor) messages in the "VM/ESA System Messages and Codes" book (from VM/ESA 1.2.0 - the newest I have in paper form) comprise 177 pages of 10-point double-column type. Another thing you get is automation support. Once you can recognize specific messages, you can respond to their appearance. Mainframe systems have lots of software options for analyzing system message streams (data similar to klogd's and syslogd's), and for initiating actions based on that information, often without human intervention or oversight. Most of that automation is keyed to the message identifier, since that's a distinct value that doesn't change when messages are translated into different languages. Speaking of translated messages, VM is currently available in American English, German and Kanji, and used to be available in Simplified Chinese, French, Canadian French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portugese. The message ids don't change, so when someone eports receiving message "HCPMID6001I El tiempo es 00:00:00 EST Lunes 01/21/02", the non-Spanish speakers on the VMESA-L list can still help the poor fellow out. Besides which, the fellow can always type "HELP HCP6001I" and get and explanation en Espanol. Ross Patterson Computer Associates
