---
title: "Using Messages | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "06/13/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2014"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: 
ms.topic: "reference"
topic_type: 
  - "apiref"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "messages [SMO]"
ms.assetid: 4037a866-4826-4c1f-890c-e7e3658adf13
author: stevestein
ms.author: sstein
manager: craigg
---
# Using Messages
  In SMO, system messages are represented by the <xref:Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.SystemMessageCollection> object that belongs to the `Server` object. Because the system messages cannot be modified, `SystemMessage` object properties are read-only.  
  
 User-defined messages are represented programmatically in SMO by the <xref:Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.UserDefinedMessageCollection> object. Existing user-defined messages can be discovered by iterating through the collection. New user-defined messages can be created by instantiating a new `UserDefinedMessage` object and setting the appropriate properties.  
  
## Examples  
 For the following code examples, you will have to select the programming environment, programming template and the programming language to create your application. For more information, see [Create a Visual Basic SMO Project in Visual Studio .NET](../../../database-engine/dev-guide/create-a-visual-basic-smo-project-in-visual-studio-net.md) and [Create a Visual C&#35; SMO Project in Visual Studio .NET](../how-to-create-a-visual-csharp-smo-project-in-visual-studio-net.md).  
  
## Finding a Particular System Message in Visual Basic  
 The code example shows how to identify a system message by ID number and display the message.  
  
<!-- TODO: review snippet reference  [!CODE [SMO How to#SMO_VBMessages1](SMO How to#SMO_VBMessages1)]  -->  
  
## Finding a Particular System Message in Visual C#  
 The code example shows how to identify a system message by ID number and display the message.  
  
```csharp
{  
            //Connect to the local, default instance of SQL Server.   
            Server srv = new Server();  
            //Reference an existing system message using the   
            //ItemByIdAndLanguage method.   
            SystemMessage msg = default(SystemMessage);  
            msg = srv.SystemMessages.ItemByIdAndLanguage(14126, "us_english");  
            //Display the message ID and text.   
            Console.WriteLine(msg.ID.ToString() + " " + msg.Text);  
        }  
```  
  
## Finding a Particular System Message in PowerShell  
 The code example shows how to identify a system message by ID number and display the message.  
  
```powershell
# Set the path context to the local, default instance of SQL Server.  
CD \sql\localhost\  
$srv = Get-Item default  
  
#Get the message 14126 in US English and display it  
$msg = $srv.SystemMessages.ItemByIdAndLanguage(14126, "us_english")  
$msg.ID.ToString() + " "+ $msg.Text  
```  
  
## Adding a New User-Defined Message in Visual Basic  
 The code example demonstrates how to create a user-defined message with an ID greater than 50000.  
  
```vb
Dim mysrv As Server  
mysrv = New Server  
Dim udm As UserDefinedMessage  
udm = New UserDefinedMessage(mysrv, 50003, "us_english", 16, "Test message")  
udm.Create()  
```  
  
## Adding a New User-Defined Message in Visual C#  
 The code example demonstrates how to create a user-defined message with an ID greater than 50000.  
  
```csharp
{
            Server mysrv = new Server();  
  
            UserDefinedMessage udm = new UserDefinedMessage(mysrv, 50030, "us_english",16, "Test message");  
            udm.Create();  
             UserDefinedMessage  msg = mysrv.UserDefinedMessages.ItemByIdAndLanguage(50030, "us_english");  
            //Display the message ID and text.   
            Console.WriteLine(msg.ID.ToString() + " " + msg.Text);  
  
        }  
```  
  
## Adding a New User-Defined Message in PowerShell
 The code example demonstrates how to create a user-defined message with an ID greater than 50000.  
  
```powershell
#Get a server object which corresponds to the default instance  
$srv = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SMO.Server  
  
#Create a new message
$udm = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SMO.UserDefinedMessage -ArgumentList `  
$srv, 50030, "us_english", 16, "Test message"  
$udm.Create()  
$msg = $srv.UserDefinedMessages.ItemByIdAndLanguage(50030, "us_english");  
$msg  
```