Adding and editing custom error messages

About custom error messages

If you customize Poetic by adding additional functionality, you may also need error messages to accompany that functionality. The developer uses these error messages in their code.

Poetic allows you to create custom error messages. Error messages you create are placed in a special Custom category.

Displaying the Search Error Messages page

You add and edit custom error messages from the Search Error Messages page. To display the page:

  1. On the Administration menu, click Site maintenance.
  2. On the Site Maintenance menu, click the Customization tab.
  3. On the Customization tab, click Error messages.

Adding or editing a custom error message

To add a custom error message, click Add custom message.

To edit a custom error message:

  1. On the Search Error Messages page, from the Category dropdown, select Custom.
  2. Click Search Error Messages.

    The list of custom messages displays.

  3. Click the Edit link for the message you want to edit.

    The Custom Error Message Header page displays.

Configuring the custom error

Code You use the Code field to set the code that represents the error message in the application code.

All custom error message codes begin with "CUSTOM_", which is provided automatically.

In the field following "CUSTOM_", type the remainder of the code.

Be sure not to use any spaces in the code.

NOTE: Because the code is used in the actual application code, be very careful about editing it. If you change the code here, but the change is not reflected in the code, the error message will not display when it is needed.
Description In the Description field, type a brief description of the message.
Default message In the Default message field, type the default text of the message.

The default text displays whenever the message is edited or localized, to provide a reference point for the message content.
How to use In the How to use field, type a longer description of when and how the message is used.

For information on how to edit and localize the message text, see Editing and localizing error messages. Note that you cannot localize the text of a custom error until you have saved it.