【学习心得】Error and Warning Messages （I)

最近在review error and warning messages, 在修订过程中，重温【经验谈】 Error Message设计三要素；并且再次通读了微软的Messages写作Guidlines，心得：
1. warning message的编写与error message有所不同。Error messages alert users of problems that have already occurred. In contrast, warning messages alert users of conditions that might cause problems in the future. To determine the appropriate message type, focus on the most important aspect of the issue that users need to know or act upon. Typically, if an issue blocks the user from proceeding, you should present it as an error; if the user can proceed, present it as a warning.
2. 在编写时，message的呈现形式不同，message的写法有所不同。
3. 要思考，要不断把自己放在用户的角度去揣摩，不能僵化使用PCS三元素。不一定这三个元素逐一列出，有些情况下，P与C放在一起讲，S单独一行。
4. 用词方面的一些注意事项。
在此，我摘录一些对我有启示的内容。

Guidelines

- Error Messages in Windows 7

- Warning Messages

Keys to good messages

Good error messages are presented in a way that is:

Relevant. The message presents a problem that users care about.

Actionable. Users should either perform an action or change their behavior as the result of the message.

User-centered. The message describes the problem in terms of target user actions or goals, not in terms of what the code is unhappy with.

Brief. The message is as short as possible but no shorter.

Clear. The message uses plain language so that the target users can easily understand the problem and solution.

Specific. The message describes the problem using specific language, giving specific names, locations, and values of the objects involved.

Courteous. Users shouldn't be blamed or made to feel stupid.

Rare. Displayed infrequently. Frequently displayed error messages are a sign of bad design.

Text

-  User-centered

- Clear, Brief, Specific

-  Don't use the following words:

Error, failure (use problem instead)

Failed to (use unable to instead)

Illegal, invalid, bad (use incorrect instead)

Abort, kill, terminate (use stop instead)

Catastrophic, fatal (use serious instead)

- Courteous

- Use double quotation marks around object names. Doing so makes the text easier to parse and avoids potentially embarrassing statements.

        Exception: Fully qualified file paths, URLs, and domain names don't need to be in double quotation marks.

-  Avoid putting full file paths and URLs in the main instruction. Rather, use a short name (such as the file name) and put the full name (such as the file path) in the supplemental instruction. However, you can put a single full file path or URL in the main instruction if the error message doesn't otherwise need a supplemental instruction.

Main instruction templates

While there are no strict rules for phrasing, try using the following main instruction templates whenever possible:

[optional subject name] can't [perform action]

[optional subject name] can't [perform action] because [reason]

[optional subject name] can't [perform action] to "[object name]"

[optional subject name] can't [perform action] to "[object name]" because [reason]

There is not enough [resource] to [perform action]

[Subject name] doesn't have a [object name] required for [purpose]

[Device or setting] is turned off so that [undesired results]

[Device or setting] isn't [available | found | turned on | enabled]

"[object name]" is currently unavailable

The user name or password is incorrect

You don't have permission to access "[object name]"

You don't have privilege to [perform action]

[program name] has experienced a serious problem and must close immediately