Reader Feedback and Insights: Effective Communication

Hey, Ted

Thanks for presenting the message queue solution to the question posed by Bill in the January 22, 2003, issue of Midrange Guru. At first, it may seem like a lot of overhead. That's what I thought when I first had a consultant design an interactive screen and he handled the messages that way. But here's what I liked about the solution the more I used it:

1. The solution requires a message file. Having the file allows me to view existing messages and reuse them. This makes for a more efficient application, but, more importantly, it provides a way for a consistent message to be presented to the user throughout various screens in the application. This helps in training for the application.
2. The technique you presented gives me the ability to have the application run with different message files. This helps when I have one application that is used by service center personnel as well as client users. The same logic is used in RPG, but the messages can be made more "user friendly" for the client users and more abbreviated for the experienced service center personnel users. I think also the message file may allow an easy way of presenting the messages in a different language (I haven't tested it yet). I assume you would translate the messages once, keep the program logic intact, and use the newly translated message file for a non-English speaking user.
3. This method allows for extended (secondary level) help. When the user presses the Help key after positioning the cursor over the message, a more detailed explanation can be presented to the user, if they need it. This allows a brief initial message, and if the user is still not comfortable with the explanation, a more detailed explanation (assuming the programmer keyed one in) can be displayed. Also, regarding user use, the secondary level of messaging can allow the message explanation to be displayed in the "users own words". Having this quick ability to change the message (possibly during a rollout/testing phase) without recompiling modules and programs is a good thing.
4. Another thing I like is the ease of debugging with the message file implementation. It is far easier for me to reliably locate a four-digit code in the QRPGLESRC or QRPGSRC source physical files to locate where a message originated, as opposed to scanning for a message that may be split multiple times in a source file. The four-digit code is much less likely to be split than a text message that is located in the program and so makes locating the logic that produces the message a quicker exercise.

-- Doug

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