[comp.os.vms] Translating status codes

PJS@NAIF.JPL.NASA.GOV (Peter Scott) (04/19/88)

This situation seems to crop up fairly regularly:  Program X, running
inside a command procedure, returns a status code signalling an error.
Because the command procedure is running as part of some automated process
that is supposed to leave zero residue, there is no log file or redirection
of SYS$OUTPUT/SYS$ERROR; instead the command procedure mails a message or
some similar procedure, identifying the status code.  The problem lies in
translating the code: oftentimes F$MESSAGE() simply says "%FAC-F-NOMSG",
where FAC is correct for the facility that produced the message, but ther
is no error explanation.  I assume that X has a message library loaded that
F$MESSAGE() does not; how can I find out what the entry for my status code
in that library is?  I am not looking for solutions on how to modify the
command procedure to save its output, because I have already thought of
another example where that would not work (status codes returned when a
print job terminates in error).  Any suggestions?

Peter Scott (pjs%grouch@jpl-mil.jpl.nasa.gov)
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