--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2003/07/01 20:45:17	1.384
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2003/07/03 19:26:21	1.386
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.384 2003/07/01 20:45:17 albertel Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.386 2003/07/03 19:26:21 matthew Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -2774,7 +2774,7 @@ sub modifyuser {
         }   
         $uhome=&homeserver($uname,$udom,'true');
         if (($uhome eq '') || ($uhome eq 'no_host') || ($uhome ne $unhome)) {
-	    return 'error: verify home';
+	    return 'error: unable verify users home machine.';
         }
     }   # End of creation of new user
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Add ID
@@ -2784,7 +2784,8 @@ sub modifyuser {
        if (($uidhash{$uname}) && ($uidhash{$uname}!~/error\:/) 
          && (!$forceid)) {
 	  unless ($uid eq $uidhash{$uname}) {
-	      return 'error: mismatch '.$uidhash{$uname}.' versus '.$uid;
+	      return 'error: user id "'.$uid.'" does not match '.
+                  'current user id "'.$uidhash{$uname}.'".';
           }
        } else {
 	  &idput($udom,($uname => $uid));
@@ -2800,10 +2801,10 @@ sub modifyuser {
     } else {
         %names = @tmp;
     }
-    if ($first)  { $names{'firstname'}  = $first; }
-    if ($middle) { $names{'middlename'} = $middle; }
-    if ($last)   { $names{'lastname'}   = $last; }
-    if ($gene)   { $names{'generation'} = $gene; }
+    if (defined($first))  { $names{'firstname'}  = $first; }
+    if (defined($middle)) { $names{'middlename'} = $middle; }
+    if (defined($last))   { $names{'lastname'}   = $last; }
+    if (defined($gene))   { $names{'generation'} = $gene; }
     my $reply = &put('environment', \%names, $udom,$uname);
     if ($reply ne 'ok') { return 'error: '.$reply; }
     &logthis('Success modifying user '.$udom.', '.$uname.', '.$uid.', '.