Building Blocks Towards More Effective SQL Error Messages

Abstract

Reading and interpreting error messages are significant aspects of a software developer's work. Despite the importance and prevalence of error messages, especially for novices, SQL compiler error messages from various relational database management systems have seen limited development since their inception. This lack of progress may stem from the fact that it is not well-understood what constitutes an effective error message. With data from 568 participants across three student cohorts, we investigate whether novel SQL error message design guidelines can explain success in fixing SQL syntax errors. The results indicate that some of the guidelines indeed serve as building blocks toward more effective SQL error messages for novices. However, error messages that adhered to certain guidelines showed inconclusive or negative results. These findings can be applied to iterate on SQL error messages in SQL learning environments or SQL compilers.