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Getting more meaningful error messages from COM (ADO)

A number of applications I have use ADO, and it's great when everything works, but...

When you get an error like "OLE error 80030002" it can be hard to decipher what is going on.

There has to be a way of converting these meaningless hex error codes into something more insightful like "File not found". (other than hardcoding each one)

Is there?

Look forward to your suggestions.

---
Note: In case there's not try comparing to the constants as specified in Windows.pas, such as ...

{ %l could not be found. }
STG_E_FILENOTFOUND = HRESULT($80030002);

Stefaan

Hi,

Well, had this problem too a long time ago, apparently it seemed to be a bug in the Translation Resources at that time. Setting my local settings to US English gave me the correct errors.

I'll look up what I exactly did, since i have written it down somewhere.

Further more there is a complete list on the Microsoft Website at the following URL :

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q168354

Best regards,

Stefaan

Russell Libby

Hamlet,

Have you tried passing the OLE error code to the SysErrorMessage() function? It calls the FormatMessage API, which will return the system defined error message description for both win32 error codes as well as OLE HResults.

Russell

Hamlet081299

ASKER

Thanks for the suggestions so far...

The regional setting could be the issue. Being in Australia, I like to have my dates around the "right" way, and also I like to be able to spell words like "colour" correctly. ;-)

That list may come in handy too.

I will also look at SysErrorMessage.

I'll get back to you when I have had time to check these out (probably Monday).

Thanks again

H.

Hamlet081299

ASKER

As Stefaan has suggested, it must be something to do with being unable to find or access the actual messages.

I tried the same code on two different machines. One gives the meaningless "OLE error 80030002" whilst the other gives "%1 not found" ... still not perfect, but definitely better.

Do you know where it is trying to find the messages? Is it possible I am just missing a file, or that it is in the wrong place?

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Stefaan

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Hamlet081299

ASKER

I tried setting to US English, but it didn't help. I suspect that one of the messaging dll's is missing or corrupted on this machine, or is for some reason not being loaded. I just can't work out which one.

Hamlet081299

ASKER

I think it is just something missing on this machine. The same code actually gives appropriate error messages on other machines.

I still have the problem, so if you have any insights as to what may be missing, I'd be glad to hear them.

In the meantime, you can have the points, as I have moved on and don't like to leave these questions sitting open.