Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:36:55 -0800 From: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@zippy.cdrom.com> To: Paul Hernaus <Paul.Hernaus@nl.origin-it.com> Cc: Sheldon Hearn <sheldonh@FreeBSD.org>, cvs-committers@FreeBSD.org, cvs-all@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: cvs commit: src/usr.sbin/pkg_install/delete perform.c Message-ID: <26368.947619415@zippy.cdrom.com> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:26:59 %2B0100." <20000111142659.A841@itchy.mpn.cp.philips.com>
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> On Tue, Jan 11, 2000 at 04:37:17AM -0800, Sheldon Hearn wrote: > > sheldonh 2000/01/11 04:37:17 PST > > > > Modified files: > > usr.sbin/pkg_install/delete perform.c > > Log: > > Use a more helpful fatal error message than "Toto! This doesn't look > > like Kansas anymore!" when unable to return to the original working > > directory. > > What a sad world this is. I rather liked the "silly" error message. > I even used it as an example of UNIX humor. I have to agree since the last time this was brought up, I asked people what additional information would be imparted by "Can't return to previous directory!" and they admitted that this, while more factual, wouldn't actually be any more enlightening to them. I also have to wonder how people are actually GETTING this error message since you have to really work at it to trigger this failure case, hence the original flippant message. It really is one of those "Help, we should never get here" sorts of error messages and maybe I should just adopt a programming convention used by a friend of mine back in the 80's. All of his programs used a single error message to indicate an unexpected error condition: "Something has gone wrong!" We all had great fun debugging his code after receiving one of those, I can tell you. :) - Jordan To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe cvs-all" in the body of the message
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