HERCULE: a framework for enhancing error reporting in component-based systems

Abstract

The paper presents a novel approach to providing error feedback for distributed, component based applications. We describe HERCULE, a framework within which an existing application can execute, to enhance error feedback. HERCULE will collect data from user actions and server requests and provide context dependent feedback on errors. The strength of HERCULE is that the application will not have to be modified or transformed in any way to participate in the framework. Users of software systems often spend a great deal of time trying to work out how to use the system and, in particular, how to deal with errors. It is often difficult to find out what has caused an error, and how to recover from it. Sometimes users are even oblivious to the presence of errors. In component based applications, the constituent parts are developed independently, and consequently traditional methods for implementing global feedback mechanisms will not be feasible. We therefore propose the introduction of an error reporting framework which will provide the required level of feedback for component based systems.