Recommended Reading

• Cooper, Alan. About Face: The Essentials of User Interface Design. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 1995.

  Chapter 28, "The End of Errors," and Chapter 29, "Managing Exceptions," present a thought-provoking discussion about message boxes, particularly error messages. But I definitely wouldn't use the proposed solution for error messages—it is way too much.

• Ezzell, Ben. Developing Windows Error Messages. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, 1998.

  Discusses everything you ever wanted to know about error messages. While the first two chapters do a good job of identifying common error message problems, I wouldn't use the proposed solutions presented in the remainder of the book.

• Kano, Nadine. Developing International Software for Windows 95 and Windows NT. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press, 1995.

  Chapter 4, "Preparing the User Interface for Localization," presents everything you need to know about internationalizing software.

• Microsoft Corporation. Designing for the User Experience. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press, 1999.

  Presents guidelines for message box types, title bar text, message box text, and button text. Essential information.

• Microsoft Corporation. "Error and Event Message Guidelines." MSDN, January 1999, Platform SDK, Windows Programming Guidelines, Programming Tips and Techniques.

  Presents several useful guidelines for creating clear and useful error messages.

• Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, Second Edition. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press, 1998.

  Provides useful guidelines for all aspects of documentation, including error messages.

• Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary, Third Edition. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press, 1997.

  A good source for making sure you are using the right term.