Alternative way to notify user of an error

Question

I have winform software that communicates with hardware through a protocol.

Sometimes a communication error occurs, and I would like to notify the user. Errors can be, for example: timeouts, crc errors, physical disconnection, etc.

I have a communication window in which I display these errors, but by default it is hidden. The user can open it, although in the menu bar.

Pop-ups annoy the user (and for themselves), so I would like a non-invasive way to notify the user that an error has occurred. Perhaps an information bubble when XP reports that updates are ready for your computer? I know that NotifyIcon can help put things in a system tray that I don't want to have. I would rather save it in my MDI.

I am also open to other creative ideas.

Answer 1

There are several alternatives that can be used when an error occurs, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages:

• MessageBox popups
  Display a popup message box to the user.
  Advantage: since it is modal, the user must acknowledge the error in order to continue.
  Disadvantage: since it is modal, it interrupts the user from what they do. Multiple errors are also inconvenient, requiring several confirmations.

• Show communication window
  If your existing communication window is hidden, display it to make the registered error visible.
  Benefit: Uses an existing familiar communication mechanism.
  Disadvantage: if the user does not really care about errors, it can be unpleasant that the communication window constantly appears.

• Status Bar Messages
  Show messages in the application status bar.
  Advantage: it will always be displayed on the screen, but "to the side" of the main window.
  Disadvantage: it is difficult to display multiple messages and may be skipped by the user.

• Balloon notifications
  Show the Outlook / MSN Messenger style notification message next to the notification icons.
  Advantage: Obviously enough for the user to notice, but does not necessarily require a notification icon. You can also collect multiple messages into a single popup.
  Disadvantage: may annoy the user.

• Notification icons Show a notification icon (possibly with a ball notification).
  Advantage: obvious to the user, but still unobtrusive.
  Disadvantage: - Another notification icon to clutter the user's desktop.

Personally, I would choose option 2, since it requires the least amount of effort to achieve. If this is unacceptable when people start to encounter this, consider other options.

For examples of balloon notifications that do not require a notification icon, see this for Windows Forms and this for WPF.

Answer 2

One (relatively) general paradigm is to put a message in the status bar ("[x] New Messages") and make the message box look like a user action.

Answer 3

If your MDI window is open / visible, then you may have a communication status icon - it will be green when everything is in order, orange for warnings (for example, damaged packets are detected, but comms is still working, and the system has recovered), and red - for errors (for example, without decoded messages received within 5 seconds). This allows you to make it pretty subtle when everything happens, but the "other" is pretty noticeable - the problem.

For a serious error (for example, a shutdown), you may want to get more “invasive” because there comes a point when the problem with attracting user attention is no worse than worrying about them with an error message.

If your window is not guaranteed to be visible, then (despite your dislike of the idea) the system tray icon (to show this status) is a standard and fairly clean solution - it can be constantly visible or just appear when it relates to it as non-invasive, because you can still get the information into the user’s attention, and it’s easy for the user to check periodically to convince himself that they have a green light.

An alternative to visual indicators is the use of sound signals.

(For example, we use a monitor on our assembly server. It simply has a green icon when the assemblies are good, and a red icon if the assembly failed. This is fine, because it does not bother me all, but I can check the status of the assembly in an instant.

Alternative example: I have an email application that displays the envelope icon in the system tray when I have a new letter, and nothing if I do not. In practice, with this system, I notice quite soon (in a minute or two) when the mail arrived, but I do not care about the constant pop-ups or message boxes.

I think these are both examples that show how much better the icon in the system tray is than a popup or a ball window. Pop-ups are annoying, and most of them, if you don’t watch when they appear, you skip the information. I will always see pop-ups the same way they disappear, and then I need to open the application to see if they tell me anything useful. This is usually not the case. The same goes for sound notifications: I continue to hear random noises from my IM application and wonder what they mean).

Answer 4

Depends on your scenarios. If an event requires user interaction, then a modal dialog may be best because you cannot continue until the user, for example, adds the device to the USB port (or something else).

For other unusual notifications that the user may need to know, but cannot interrupt the workflow, I suggest using the in-app pop-up window or updating the status window.

If the user does not need to change / interrupt what they are doing, then do not warn / notify them: your device and application should “just work” - the user should be interrupted if there is anything that really requires their attention or what this will lead to their failure "soon."

Answer 5

this put a small red circle on the control rights. its datagridview type of cell is erroText

var errorProvider1 == new ErrorProvider(); protected void textBox1_Validating (object sender, System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs e) { try { int x = Int32.Parse(textBox1.Text); // Clear the error. errorProvider1.SetError(textBox1, ""); } catch (Exception ex) { errorProvider1.SetError(textBox1, "Not an integer value."); // additionally, if you wantto prevent user leaving textbox // until he satisfies condition. uncomment below. // e.handled = true; } } 

From: Microsoft