253447 - VERY unhelpful error if user enters text in "blocks" field

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Bugzilla :: Creating/Changing Bugs, defect, P3)

Description

[Joel Peshkin]

If a user is new to the system and does not realize that Blocks is a reference
to another bug number, the error message is no help at all.


 The 'bug number'  is invalid. It is neither a bug number nor an alias to a bug
number. If you are trying to use QuickSearch, you need to enable JavaScript in
your browser. To help us fix this limitation, add your comments to bug 70907.

Note: This came from investigation of data/errorlog after a user commented that
he  could not open a bug.

Comment 1

[Joel Peshkin]

Either a third field in ValidateBugID with the field name or just echoing the
original text would do the trick.

Comment 2

[Joel Peshkin]

Attachment: Made less confusing

Comment 3

[Christian Reis]

Comment on attachment 154644 [details] [diff] [review]
Made less confusing

Two things:

  - it's kinda weird weird to say bug number 'foo' given that foo isn't a
number. Should we instead be saying something like:

  The bug identifier 'xxxx' is invalid.

or

  The bug 'xxx' is invalid.

If this message is used both for numbers and for aliases, have you considered
splitting the error message into an alias-specific one? 

Is the <em> a standard?

Comment 4

[Joel Peshkin]

Attachment: plain wording

Comment 5

[Christian Reis]

Comment on attachment 154713 [details] [diff] [review]
plain wording

Maybe you want to use "identifier" instead of "number'. Maybe not.

Tired of pointing people to a silly bug?

Comment 6

[Dave Miller [:justdave]]

(In reply to comment #5)
> Tired of pointing people to a silly bug?

Hell yes. :)

Comment 7

[Joel Peshkin]

checked in on both branches