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 often out of date, and arguably useless.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/