title: To use error codes or not to use error codes
body: <p>So, I've been working on a new project at work, and today had a coworker bring up the idea to me that my exceptions and even returned error messages should be completely localized.   I thought maybe that was a good idea, but he said that I should only error return error codes.  I personally don't like the error code idea a lot as it tends to make other programmers either </p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>To reuse error codes where they don't fit because they don't want to add another one</li>
  <li>They tend to use the wrong error codes as there can get to be so many defined.  </li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>So my question is what doe everyone else do to handle this situation?  I'm open for all sorts of suggestions including those that think error codes are the way to go.  </p>