The Error Message File

In Windows Help version 3.1, error messages are stored in a text-only ASCII file, rather than in the compiler’s resource file (as in version 3.0). Because Help error messages are stored independently of the compiler, Help authors can customize the error messages in two ways. They can:

nChange the text that appears in the error message.

nInsert tabs into the error messages.

When customizing error messages, Help authors cannot:

nChange the number assigned to the error message.

nChange the order of the error message in HC.ERR.

nAdd, delete, or change the order of parameter (%) tags in the error messages.

The default name of the error message file is HC.ERR; however, this name may vary according to the specific version of the compiler that you are using to build the Help file: HC.ERR, HC31.ERR, or HCP.ERR, for example. To work correctly, the error message file must be located in the same directory as the compiler and its name must match the name of the compiler you are using. For example, if you rename HC31.EXE to HC.EXE, you must rename the HC31.ERR error file to HC.ERR. If the error message file is missing, the build will fail, and the compiler will display this message:

Warning 0101: Cannot open filename.ERR in filename.EXE directory.

If you see this error message, check to be sure you are running matched versions of the compiler and error message file and that the files are in the same directory. Also, be sure you are using the version of the compiler you think you are using. If the problem persists, reinstall the error message file from the original source disk.