Fehlernummer

Fehlernummer is a German term that translates literally to “error number.” In computing and telecommunications it refers to a numeric identifier assigned to a specific error condition or fault that occurs during the execution of a program, the transmission of data, or the operation of a system. The use of Fehlernummer allows developers, administrators, and support personnel to quickly identify the nature of a problem, locate relevant documentation, and determine appropriate remediation steps.

In many operating systems, Fehlermeldungen (error messages) are accompanied by a Fehlernummer that encodes the error’s type and severity. Classic examples are the Windows system error codes, where numbers such as 0x80070005 denote “Access denied.” POSIX-compliant Unix-like systems use standardized error numbers like `ENOENT (2)` for “No such file or directory” or `EACCES (13)` for “Permission denied.” Web protocols employ HTTP status codes as Fehlernummer, with 404 indicating “Not Found” and 500 denoting “Internal Server Error.”

Fehlernummer conventions vary by domain. Within database systems, error codes often carry a vendor prefix (e.g., “ORA-00001” in Oracle). Messaging systems like Kafka and RabbitMQ issue numeric error identifiers to signal connectivity or serialization problems. In embedded and industrial control contexts, Fehlermeldungen may be encoded in fault registers that follow field‑specific conventions such as IEC 61850.

Because many Fehlermeldungen are not self‑explanatory, documentation typically maps each Fehlernummer to a human‑readable message and an advisory on corrective action. Many modern development environments and runtime libraries automatically attach the Fehlernummer to exception objects, enabling automated logging frameworks to filter, route, or alert on specific error categories.