How can I get extended information in error messages on Symbian
Article Metadata
Code Example
Compatibility
S60 2nd Edition
Article
Overview
How can I get extended information in error messages?
Description
S60 1st and 2nd Editions:
When an application panics, most S60 emulators display a simple 'Program closed' dialog without any details on the error.
By creating an empty file with the name ErrRD in the following directory
<SDK Install Dir>\epoc32\wins\c\system\bootdata
the system will append also panic category and panic code information in the error messages. Also, when an unhandled leave occurs, the actual leave code is attached to the end of the error message in parentheses.
The ErrRD file can also be created in a target device, where it has a similar effect. The file must be created in the device memory in the directory
c:\system\bootdata
Note, however, that devices compatible with S60 2nd Edition, Feature Pack 2 and FP3 no longer display error dialogs in application panic situations.
S60 3rd Edition:
On S60 3rd Edition emulators, extended error messages are enabled by default. If they are not visible, check that 'Extended panic code file' is selected in Tools -> Preferences -> C++ Debug.
In a target device, the correct location for the ErrRd file is in c:\resource directory. In practice, the only way to create the ErrRd file is by using a simple SIS file. For example:
; ErrRd.pkg - Enables leave/panic dialogs
&EN
#{"ErrRd"}, (0xe1e444d0), 1, 0, 0
%{"Nokia Developer"}
:"Nokia Developer"
[0x101F7961], 0, 0, 0, {"Series60ProductID"}
"ErrRd.pkg"-"c:\resource\errrd"
A SIS file generated from the above .pkg source can be self-signed. Such a package is attached, ready for use: errrd KB.zip.
An image that shows the effect of the ErrRd file on S60 3rd Edition 
Note 1: If you get a "Certificate error" during installation of a self-signed package, check that App.Manager -> Settings -> Software Installation is set to "All".
Note 2: The contents of ErrRd file is not relevant - it can be an empty file.
(no comments yet)