Before an error text file can be created, the complete input message file must be validated. Each line is validated, as follows:

•Blank lines are ignored

•Lines starting with a hash/number character (ie. #) are considered a comment and ignored

•All the remaining line must contain the following 4 fields (each field separated by 1 or more white spaces):

•A single word identifier, which must be unique and palatable as a 'C' preprocessor as a defined symbol.

•The number of parameters used within the text of the message.

•If the number of parameters is greater than zero, then the third field contains a list of parameter types in the sequence they are used within the message. Parameter types are: s - string, d - decimal and l - long integer. When the number of parameters is zero, then this field must be left blank.

•The final field is the message, containing the placeholders for the parameters. The maximum length of a message prior to the insertion of the parameter values is 120 characters. As the message is final field, it continues until the end of line. Each parameter placeholder starts with a percentage symbol (ie. %) followed by the parameter type (s - string, d - decimal, ld - long decimal). With string parameters, the length of the string can be set by using the format %.nns, where nn is a numeric value of the maximum length.

The are 2 special identifier, which must not be altered by Client as there are purely for ESL Syndetic's engineering department:

•ERR_ESLNAME - This must contain the message "ESL", which is used to the ensure the Message file used by the Compiler and Runtime is an Esl Message Manager generated file.

•ERR_REVISION - This message contains the revision number, which must match the revision number contained within the Compiler and Runtime.