What is error-code.org.uk?

Many years ago I was working alot with Oracle initially developing a 3GL interface between our product and Oracle using OCI mapping isam like function calls to SQL and then later supporting our product running over Oracle. Back then when you got an error you had to dig out the error codes manual (in paper form) and flip through it's pages and try and work out what the hell it all meant.

Some years later I was again involved with Oracle this time working out how to do live replication and failover, and how to install and configure and support Oracle over Linux. By then the internet was the place to find documentation, but finding information about an Oracle error was not always easy, it used to take me a while to find the Oracle error reference pages on Oracle's website, and that was just the raw error message the same as I got from the manual in book form.

There were a few useful Oracle related web sites about, Oracle FAQ's, Experts Exchange and of course the Oracle forums. There were also a few Oracle error code reference websites regurgitating the Oracle error messages splattered with loads of adverts (but at least they were easier to find that the official Oracle documentation).

This is when I decided to build error-code.org.uk. The objectives for this site were:

provide the same kind of easy to find reference for Oracle errors without drowning the information out with advertising
add value by performing a google custom search using the specific error code and an approved list of websites to be searched so that only quality results are given
add value by allowing the community to add comments on each and every error message thus building a knowledge base of information around each error
learn something about website development

This is why the main content (the main panel on each error description page) is free of advertising. It is uncluttered and easy to read.

Why have any advertising at all?

The advertising that does appear on this site is there to fund the day to day maintenance and running costs of the website.

Website Evolution

This website has undergone a number of changes over the years, which include:

basic website, search, browse and display of error details with value added custom google search
support for adding comments
anti-spam measures for comments. A futile and itterative excercise as the spammers always come up with a way around any measures to prevent them but thankfully spam has settled down to a trickle
dabbled with forums and a wiki, dropped because they were hardly used except by spammers
anti-hacking measures put in place. If this website is hacked, I know about it within the hour and can restore the site back to a clean state within minutes. Also now using very secure passwords to eliminate the threat of hacking.
revamped the layout, looks nicer now, and it's even easier to read

Tools Used

The following tools are used in the production of this website

Notepad++ - for HTML/ASP coding
FileZilla - for FTP upload of content
Subversion+TortoiseSVN - souce code control
Linux bash+ftp - hack monitoring
MySQL Tools - automated backup and maintenance of the database
Google Adsense - Advertising links
Google Analytics - Activity monitoring
123-reg.co.uk - domain hosting
EUKHOST - Web hosting

Feedback

You can send feedback on this website to the error-code.org.uk Webmaster