---
title: "Using Messages | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "08/06/2017"
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  - "messages [SMO]"
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# Using Messages
[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-asdb-asdw-xxx-md](../../../includes/appliesto-ss-asdb-asdw-xxx-md.md)]

  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 C&#35; SMO Project in Visual Studio .NET](../../../relational-databases/server-management-objects-smo/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.  
  
```VBNET
'Connect to the local, default instance of SQL Server.
Dim srv As Server
srv = New Server
'Reference an existing system message using the ItemByIdAndLanguage method.
Dim msg As 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 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.  
  
```VBNET  
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  
```