How to translate SMG error codes

[Dan Herron]

I have a BASIC program using SMG$ to do screen painting, etc. During execution I am receiving and error code 1212940 from SMG$READ_STRING.
How do I translate the error code into a meaningful error message so that I can understand what the potential problem is?

Thanks for your help,
Dan Herron

[Volker Halle · Accepted solution]

Dan,

$ set mess SYS$COMMON:[SYSMSG]SHRIMGMSG.EXE
$ exit 1212940
%SMG-F-INVARG, invalid argument

See Ask The Wizard topc 5171

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/wizard/wiz_5171.html

for procedure MSGTXT.COM to search for message codes in all system message files.

Volker.

[Dan Herron]

Thanks for your help!
Dan

[Joseph Huber_1]

And in addition, since You get the code inside a program:
if the program should not exit to DCL with the error code, there is the RTL routine LIB$SYS_GETMSG (or the underlying
SYS$GETMSG routine): which translates the code to the associated message for logging or display in a message window of the SMG program.