Re: Do we need "Diagnostics" sections of SQL command reference pages?

On 25 Aug 2003 at 17:37, Tom Lane wrote:

> I'm starting to look at updating the docs to match 7.4 error message
> spellings. I find that a large part of the work I'll have to do is in
> updating the "Diagnostics" (formerly "Outputs") section of the command
> reference pages.

Do you have a URL for that. I was looking at
http://developer.postgresql.org/docs/postgres/index.html and didn't
find it.

> I am wondering if it wouldn't be better to just rip
> out these sections entirely. They seem like nearly content-free fluff
> to me --- the listings of possible error messages are always incomplete,
> often out of date, and arguably useless. If there is an error message
> that's not clear enough by itself, we'd better fix the error message
> instead of putting a gloss on it in the reference page.
>
> Comments?

I have never been a fan of error codes. I think that the error
messages should contain enough information to fix the error. It
saves the reader time and reduces the load on support mechanisms
(e.g. the mailing lists).
--
Dan Langille : http://www.langille.org/