On running a geoprocessing tool, show the results messages in a new dockable Geoprocessing Messages pane, which includes associated functionality.
Despite their importance, accessing results messages is inefficient. When a geoprocessing tool is executed using the Run split button, the messages appear on the third tab of a popup Details window. A user has to click on the View Details link button, click on the Messages tab button, and, more often than not, resize the window. When re-running a tool from the History pane, the View Details popup is shown in hover mode when hovering over a result item, but the Parameters tab is shown by default. A user has to open the Messages tab and, often, resize the window, with a strong chance that the popup will disappear unless they pop out the window first. Accessing the View Details popup via the History item context menu is not much more efficient.
Having to repeat the steps described above to access messages is unnecessarily cumbersome, especially during iterative tool development.
A Geoprocessing Messages pane would significantly improve the user experience. The pane could remain open and, when a tool is run, existing messages could be replaced by new messages. Options could be provided to display parameter and environment details, but the main focus would be on messages. It may be useful to allow a user to choose between replacing messages or adding messages to a log, which could be exported to a text file. Such a log would be helpful for saving a record of a tool run or set of tool runs. Parameter and environment details could be included, but, again, the primary focus should be on messages. The View Details menu option for History items could be retained, although it would be helpful if there was an option to always show the Messages tab by default, rather than showing the Parameters tab.
If adding a new dockable Geoprocessing Messages pane is not possible, it would be useful if .NET developers had access to the geoprocessing history and relevant events so that they can create their own messages pane. As a minimum, access to the collection of history items and an OnGeoprocessingToolFinishedEvent handler would be helpful. The developer could then get the messages and load them into a control of their choosing.
