Identify the error's cause
Stay organized with collections
Save and categorize content based on your preferences.
Tell users exactly what went wrong. Be specific—vague error messages
frustrate users.
Not recommended
Bad directory.
Recommended
The [Name of directory] directory exists but is not writable. To add
files to this directory, the directory must be writable. [Explanation of
how to make this directory writable.]
Not recommended
Invalid field 'picture'.
Recommended
The 'picture' field can only appear once on the command line; this command
line contains the 'picture' field <N> times.
Note: Prior to version 2.1, you could specify the 'picture' field more than
once, but more recent versions no longer support this.
Next unit: Identify the user's invalid inputs
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Last updated 2025-03-31 UTC.
[null,null,["Last updated 2025-03-31 UTC."],[],["Error messages should be specific, not vague. Instead of \"Bad directory,\" indicate the directory name and the specific issue, like lack of write permissions, providing instructions on resolution. For invalid fields, specify the field and the problem, for example, the 'picture' field appearing multiple times when only one instance is allowed. Explain changes in versions if applicable. The goal is to clearly inform the user about the error and how to fix it.\n"],null,[]]
