Generation of error messages and progress information messages via a common interface

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving a client instruction at a first software work process from a client application;
• forwarding the client instruction to a business object associated with the first software work process;
• performing, by the business object, an action in response to the client instruction;
• generating an instance of a progress information message by the business object calling a first method of an application programming interface (API) and identifying the progress information message to be generated;
• determining if an error condition occurs during the performing the action;
• generating an instance of an error message, if the error condition occurs, by calling the first method of the API and identifying the error message to be generated;
• sending the progress information message instance from a second software work process to the client application in response to a request for progress information received by the second software work process from the client application;
• and
• sending the error message instance, if generated, from the first software work process to the client application,
• wherein the sending the progress information message from the second software work process to the client application includes:
• storing, by the first software work process, a message type identifying the progress information message type in a shared memory along with a session ID;
• receiving, by the second software work process from the client application, a request for progress information including the session ID;
• performing a lookup in the shared memory based on the received session ID to identify the message type for the progress information message;
• obtaining text of the progress information message based on a stored message definition;
• and
• creating or generating the progress information message instance based on the message text.

An apparatus comprising:

• receiving logic configured to receive a client instruction at a first software work process from a client application;
• performing logic configured to perform an action in response to the client instruction;
• generating logic configured to generate an instance of a progress information message by calling a first method of an application programming interface (API) and identifying the progress information message to be generated;
• determining logic configure to determine if an error condition occurs during the performing the action;
• the generating logic configured to generate an instance of an error message if the error condition occurs by calling the first method of the API and identifying the error message to be generated;
• progress information message sending logic configured to send the progress information message instance from a second software work process to the client application in response to a request for progress information received by the second software work process from the client application;
• error message sending logic configured to send the error message instance, if generated, from the first software work process to the client application;
• and
• a message definition editor or user interface configured to:
• define the progress information message;
• assign the progress information message to the business object or to the action;
• define the error message;
• and
• assign the error message to the business object or to the action.